


Change Is The Constant

by Firebull



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Minor Character Death, Nonbinary Yubel, Other, Reincarnation, Suicide, Temporary Character Death, Time Skips, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 02:05:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 25,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20268250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firebull/pseuds/Firebull
Summary: Every seer needed a guardian who would watch over him as he shaped the future to the best it could possibly be. Judai had been reborn as the seer more times than he could count and he had his fair share of guardians, but Yubel would be a special one. Yubel would be by his side forever and together they could finally make his visions of peace become reality.Now if only the Light of Ruin could stop ruining everything for everyone. (FFXIII Trilogy AU)





	Change Is The Constant

**Author's Note:**

> I was partnered with the wonderful beebeef who has made some great artwork go check it out [here](https://beebeef.tumblr.com/post/187065138264/)!

## 1000 Before the Fall

Yubel was tired. The travel through Gran Pulse was everything but easy and it certainly wasn't made any easier by the constant attacks on their group. Some of the attackers had ridden monsters, others were the monsters. The things you'd see outside of the settlements of men. At least they didn't catch the attention of any dragons. As much as their group was made of skilled fighters, flying beasts like that were too much for them to handle without any l'Cie on their side.

Their group consisted of fighters, invited by the priests of Paddra's seer. The seer was apparently in need of a new Guardian. One who carefully watched over him as he watched over humanity. Yubel wasn't all that interested in being a Guardian to a seer, but it was a great honor to be considered for such a role. One that Yubel couldn't refuse. Neither could the others of the group who loudly complained.

They came from villages all over Gran Pulse. It had taken weeks to collect everyone. Yubel was just glad that they walked further away from Cocoon. The inverted miniature planet hovered above Gran Pulse like a bad omen. Some said that the elders in their villages still remembered spending their childhoods beneath a Cocoon-less sky. Others said that they heard that the fal'Cie were creating a paradise for humans beneath the beige outer shell. This only made Yubel feel validated in their mistrust of the thing. Fal'Cie never did anything unless it was for their own gain and many were more than happy to make humans suffer.

They finally arrived at their destination in the early morning hours. Cliffs on both sides and the stone temple of the seer nestled in between them. The structure was beautiful, but the group was too tired to appreciate it. A priest clothed in blue waited for them. He welcomed them and showed them to their quarters. Some fell into their beds, asleep within seconds, others cleaned themselves and their weapons first.

Though their group wasn't allowed to rest for long. They only had a few hours to get settled in before another priest arrived. He lead them through the winding maze of rooms and stairs to a courtyard. It was beautiful with its stone arches and statues of the seer. Even the place where they build around a gigantic arm had its charm. 

The priest told them to stand in front of a set of stairs. It didn't take long for a man to appear that was clearly the current Guardian. The l'Cie brand on his neck was on proud display. The mark was a big golden eye, ever watchful. He wore his long, black hair in a low braid. Perched on his nose was a set of thin glasses. His lanky appearance didn't speak of power, but there was no doubt that he would be able to kill everyone of them.

“Welcome travelers, to the temple of the seer. My name is Daitokuji and I'm the current Guardian. You all know why we summoned you here. You are the strongest fighters of your villages and one of you has the potential to become the seer's next Guardian. Tasked to protect him and the future he will guide us to,” he announced, paying no attention to the chubby cat playing with the ends of his red cloak.

The people around Yubel straightened their postures. Yubel couldn't help but do the same. 

Behind Daitokuji was movement other than from the cat. Sure but quiet steps. Daitokuji took note of them and stepped aside, allowing the group to see a boy approaching them. 

“I'd like to introduce to you: Paddra Yuki Judai,” he said.

The boy, Judai, was small. He was most likely a few years younger than Yubel. His eyes and short hair were a warm brown, though his hair also had a lighter shade of brown on top. He wore a red cloak like the higher ranking priests and Daitokuji. His eyes flickered over the group. Despite the warm colour of his eyes, they were cold and aloof as they slid over the candidates. His disinterest was clear to see for everyone and quite a few people bristled when they saw the clear dismissal.

He only stopped for a moment when his eyes met Yubel's. Yubel shivered. Something in his gaze was different when he looked at them. They quickly wrote it down to being the youngest of the group by far, but something in their mind kept nagging that that was not the case.

* * *

The first round of the selection process was a simple meeting with Judai. At least that's how Yubel understood it. Yet it was clear that even that was too much for many. A lot left angrily stomping their feet. Some Judai didn't even meet with even the farce of privacy, Daitokuji hanging over him like an angel of death, ready to strike the candidate down should the need arise. And it did once.

The priests cratered the body away. It had horrible burns and deep cuts all over. Even one of the arms was cut off. It was a stark reminder that the magical powers of the l'Cie were not so simply matched by anyone. No matter how skilled of a fighter one was otherwise.

After that, some didn't even dare to go to their assigned meeting once they saw Daitokuji there. Others ran from more private meetings with Judai with horrified expressions, not daring to look at him, or anyone for that matter. Only a few stayed after their meeting, but they were quiet, thoughtful.

All too soon it was Yubel's turn.

Their heart pounded loudly in their chest as they made their way to the gardens. It wouldn't calm down no matter what they did. Of course Yubel wasn't stupid enough to try and attack Judai, but none of the reactions they saw so far gave them any encouragement.

They let out a quiet sigh of relief when they saw that Daitokuji wasn't hovering over Judai. He was busy playing with the chubby cat. It was a good sign. It meant that they didn't see Yubel as an imminent threat. It wasn't much, but Yubel would take it. Judai invited them to walk with him through the gardens.

Yubel was sure that the gardens were beautiful, but they couldn't concentrate on that. Their mind was too busy running through possibilities. Of Daitokuji, who walked a little ways behind them with his cat, running them through from behind. Of whatever Judai was capable of doing to make people run away from him in fear. 

“It's alright to be scared, you know?” Was the first thing Judai said to them since they stepped outside. His eyes slid over the flowerbeds with an easy smile on his lips.

Yubel wanted to deny it. To say that their heart wasn't pounding with the need to get away from what their mind perceived as a predator. But all of those things would be lies. So the only thing that left Yubel's mouth was an unintelligent, drawn out “Uhh…”

Judai laughed. “I'm sorry you had to see that, but the other candidates made some...problems.”

“I-I'm sure it was deserved,” they stammered. Yubel wasn't actually _that_ sure. Yes, some of the others could be more than just a little rowdy, but surely they weren't that bad, right? Right?

“Daitokuji takes good care of me. He has grown more protective of me than most would consider healthy. But he keeps me save and he keeps me company. Things that some of those people didn't seem to fully grasp.” 

His voice was very fond as he spoke of Daitokuji. One could clearly see that they cared a lot about one another. They had this easy familiarity that could only be born out of years spend together. Which brought the question on why he was looking for a replacement. Surely, they wouldn't just give up that sort of trust for nothing. 

Yubel decided to take the risk and voice their thoughts. “Why are you looking for a new Guardian? You clearly care about each other. And he is still young.”

Judai laughed. “Don't let his appearance fool you. He is much older than he looks, same as me. But...” Judai's expression turned sad. “This is the third lifetime I spend with him and I can see the toll it takes on him. He isn't even in his own body anymore. While I was dead he... experimented on his own body. He tried to find a way to stay with me longer and in turn he lost his body and is now clinging onto a shell that was never meant to hold a soul this way. The only thing keeping him alive is his l'Cie power but even that has its limits.”

“That is...” Yubel didn't know what to say about that. To try and find a way to spend more time with a loved one only to have it backfire and cut your time together short... They couldn't imagine how much that must hurt both of them. 

“Things are the way they are. I asked him to not do it. I saw him die in pain, but he said that he would only leave me if he found a fitting replacement.”

At least that explained the whole selection process. “So that's why... But shouldn't you already know who takes over?”

Judai frowned ahead. “Oh I do, but the priests took it upon themselves to invite more people than just the one I saw." His frown turned into a grin that send shivers down Yubel's spine. "You should've heard Daitokuji after the announcement he was so angry. I've never heard him curse before.” 

“But... I thought that the priests listened to you?” Yubel asked, trying hard not to think about the fact that the anger they saw so far wasn't even the worst yet.

Judai sighed wistfully. “If only. Another reason why he didn't want to leave yet. Priests have always thought that they could control me into being someone I'm not.” He ran a hand through his hair and grimaced. “But sadly this is the place I'm currently the safest at.”

His words ran through Yubel's mind. They never would've thought that the situation was like this. From the outside it always seemed like the priests would hang on Judai's words, willing to do anything he asked as he guided them towards the future. “I never would've imagined…”

“Most don't. It's not like we're all that open with how things work in the temple.”

“And you stayed? Couldn't you have changed things?”

“Maybe, but then I wouldn't have met my perfect Guardian.”

Yubel's heart sunk. Of course. He _did_ say that he knew who it was before the priests even send out the invitations. But they had hoped to spend some more time with him now that most of their fear left them. “So you met them already? I hope you're getting along with them.”

“Of course! I'm talking to them right now,” he declared.

Yubel could do nothing but blink at Judai. It took their mind a few moments to catch up. They stopped walking in shock. “Me?” They asked, finger pointed at their face.

“You,” Judai confirmed with a grin.

"...me?"

"Yes, you."

“Why?”

“You have a good heart and are a great fighter. Plus, I know we will spend much time together. Not only in this life." 

Not only this life? "What do you mean?"

"I can see that you will be by my side even in my future lifetimes. And from what I've seen, there is no one I'd rather have by my side than you."

Yubel only blinked at him, blood rushing to their face. They didn't expect to hear something like that and especially not right after they just met. "I'm honored," they said. They couldn't think of anything else to say to express how much hearing those words meant to them.

Thankfully, Judai seemed to understand. His smile widened and he took one of their hands in his. "C'mon, I'll show you around."

* * *

"And this is where I'm supposed to put all my visions in. The Oracle Drive," Judai explained, pointing at a green sphere like object. They were in the main courtyard under the watchful eyes of the priests that walked around doing whatever they did.

"So a machine that records visions for you?"

"That and it allows others to see them."

"Very practical."

"It is. There are just so many visions that it gets overwhelming. It's actually largely the cause of my deaths so far. But I don't want to spend all of my time here, sitting around waiting for the vision that will be my last. I didn't want it in my previous incarnations and I don't want it for this one either. It's another reason why Daitokuji can't stay as my Guardian. He is growing too weak to battle the monsters walking out there."

"And you think I'd take you outside?"

"Yes."

"Well, you're not wrong." They could hardly stay with him here and watch him slowly wither away to his visions. The thought of having to watch that turned Yubel's stomach. 

Judai smiled at them and their heart started beating just a little faster. Not in the same way as before. Not with the excitement of having the honor of being the next Guardian. No, this was something warmer, something that made their cheeks heat up. It made them hold onto Judai's hand just a bit tighter. Yubel couldn't put a finger on what it was, but they sure wouldn't mind feeling it more often.

* * *

Yubel turned to Judai when they noticed that he stopped walking. His gaze was turned skyward and his eyes were glowing gold. After a few moments the gold vanished and he shook his head to come back to reality. Judai rubbed his temples to ease the headache.

Yubel frowned in concern. He did say that his visions were his most common cause of death and they'd rather he didn't die before they even had the chance to become his Guardian. "You alright?"

"Yeah, just...hurts, but that's normal. A side effect." 

"So the timeline changed then?"

"Yes, I'll have to record it later, but now I'm just very, very hungry."

"It's getting rather late, I'm sure lunch should be ready by now."

"I hope there's fish," Judai loudly declared.

"Are you the reason there's always fish?"

He looked them in the eyes for a few drawn out moment before his eyes slid away. "...maybe," he mumbled. His voice was barely loud enough for Yubel to hear. 

Yubel filed the information away for later. It would surely come in handy at some point. "Then we better get going before nothing's left."

Judai's eyes widened in panic. He walked noticeably faster, pulling Yubel along to.

* * *

## 998 Before the Fall

Yubel watched from a distance as Judai and Daitokuji held one another close while Pharaoh wound around their legs. It was their last moment together and both were clearly unhappy with letting go. But in order for Yubel to become the Guardian, Daitokuji had to die. 

It had taken two years of hard training and Daitokuji's condition steadily worsening for them to land at the entrance of the Hall of the Guardians where their fight would take place. The power of the Guardian, the focus to protect him could only ever be carried by one person. Given to the next generation through the act of killing the previous one, thus proving that they were strong enough to have bested every previous Guardian.

They hadn't planned for it to be now, there were still many things Yubel was supposed to learn first, but Daitokuji was feeling his body starting to give and he wouldn't bring shame to Judai by fighting Yubel when he was too weak to provide a true challenge. While Judai would've loved to watch their match in person, neither one of them wanted for him to be caught in the crossfire. They wouldn't forgive themselves should Judai be injured during their fighting.

After a while, Daitokuji pulled away and pressed a small package into Judai's hands. "Take good care of yourself."

"I will," Judai promised. He didn't try to hold back the sadness in his voice or the tears swelling in his eyes.

Daitokuji smiled sadly. He ruffled Judai's hair which earned him a playful slap from Judai. He took a deep breath, his posture straightened which only underlined how relaxed he had been before. He turned to Yubel and waved at them to follow him into the chamber they would have their fight in. 

The heavy stone doors closing behind them sounded the finality of the whole situation.

Yubel's eyes flickered over the room, taking in as much as they possibly could. The whole room had patches of slightly different coloured stone where previous Guardian battles had caused damage. The room was lined with 8 pillars which formed a circle around a patch of sunlight that shone through a small crystal window in the ceiling. On the back wall, hammered into the stone, was the same symbol as Daitokuji's l'Cie brand. The ever watching eye.

Daitokuji stopped in the patch of sunlight and turned to face Yubel. Yubel readied their sword as he pulled out a small dagger. They had no doubt that even in his weakened state he could easily overpower them with the small blade. This was a fight they could only win with their wits. 

Both of them didn't move, eyes analyzed any small twitch, every small reaction that could give away what the other was planning. Daitokuji ended their stand off with a flicker of his free wrist, sending an array of flames at Yubel that they had to duck underneath. They barely managed to pull their sword up to parry the dagger that would've pierced their neck.

Daitokuji smiled down at them. "Impressive."

They wanted to say something back, but words were quickly forgotten when they had to dodge lightning getting thrown at them. The fight continued like that for a while. Yubel switched in between dodging and parrying. They desperately searched for a weak spot but found none. 

Blades clashed again. Yubel slipped back a little, the damaged floor had build a thin layer of dust and gravel that made it next to impossible for them to find a good foothold.

Daitokuji clearly saw this as the hand that held his dagger started to crackle with electricity. "Time to end this."

Yubel watched as electricity traveled from his hand, through his dagger along Yubel's sword. If it reached their hands, they would be unable to continue with a sword. They gritted their teeth. No, they would not let it end like this. Their eyes flickered between their sword and Daitokuji's body. His second arm was relaxed by his side, sure of his win. 

They saw the opening for what it was and took it. They used the slippery ground to do a 360, slashing their sword diagonally over his chest. Daitokuji screamed as the electricity ran through his body. The cut was deep enough to draw blood, but not enough to kill. They hastily retreated when Daitokuji surrounded himself with flames as he caught his breath.

Daitokuji smiled at them. "You're doing good, better than I expected with how little time you had to train, but it is time I'm getting serious as well."

The l'Cie brand started glowing and Daitokuji's body began to change. His skin became unhealthily pale as if he froze himself. His hair grew white and wild. It ripped the ribbon that held it together to dance around his head. The veins in his face became more defined. The stain the transformation put on his body was clear to see.

“What-"

Daitokuji smiled at them. “Don't ever doubt the true horrors you can achieve using the powers a l'Cie is provided with.”

Yubel barely dodged a fire spell being hurled at them. The flames were much larger than previously and left a big, black mark behind. They stared at it in horror. While the previous ones would've left them in pain and a nice scar to remind them to get better at dodging these ones would make them unable to move. Permanently. 

They started running. There was nothing they could do against Daitokuji when he threw spell after spell at them. Not when the fire almost melted the stone, wind left deep cuts, water just exploded whatever it hit and electricity left behind glowing stones that Yubel didn't dare touch. Yubel screamed in pain as wind cut into their arm, but that didn't stop them from running behind a pillar. Once in relative safety they desperately tried to calm down and to think of a strategy, but nothing came to mind and the constant attacks against the pillar did nothing to help them calm down.

They hissed as they moved their left arm. It was in a pretty bad condition after that hit. They touched it and carefully looked into the wound to see if they could make out bone. To their surprise - and relief - the wound was not as deep as it looked. It was rather swallow actually. They frowned and looked around taking note of the cuts in the stone. They weren't as deep as they had previously though, only a play of the light and Yubel's desperate desire to not get hit by them.

They had heard that some l'Cie were stronger in some elements then others, but they had thought those words to be nothing but rumors. Now, however, they had proof that they rang true. While fire, electricity and water left behind a lot of damage, wind couldn't even cut through their flesh enough to reach the bone. Given the fact that the body of the rejected candidate had been missing an arm, they assumed it to mean that his wind magic cut it off. But apparently he had used his sword for that one.

Yubel heard the sound of the pillar starting to give under the constant assault of spells and started running again. They gritted their teeth as flames licked at their feet in passing. They wouldn't get a chance to test their theory further. Daitokuji was more than smart enough to figure out what they tried to do and stop using wind magic altogether. They couldn't risk that.

They ran, dodging spells until the right moment came. They felt the shift in the air as wind came barreling towards them. They ran straight into the spell, gritting their teeth against the pain of the wind cutting their skin open, cutting through flesh. With a war cry they lifted their sword on pierced Daitokuji's chest. It was a bit off center, they hadn't managed to hit his heart, but his blood flowed down their sword nonetheless.

Daitokuji smiled down at them. “I see, you knew that your chances of surviving my wind spell were the highest so you waited until I used it to attack. Impressive.” He coughed up blood. ”I'm happy that it's you that will take over from me. I know that you'll make him happy. From this day forth, you will be the protector of the seer. You will watch over him as he watches over all of us. My powers shall be yours."

With the last word the l'Cie brand on his neck started glowing and power flowed through Yubel from where they gripped their sword. It burned through their veins through every cell in their body and changed them.

Yubel gripped their head in pain as a sign branded itself into the skin of their forehead. Their scream of pain echoed through the room. It alerted everyone that their fight was over and people came running. The last thing they saw was Daitokuji's body turning into blue crystal, his focus fulfilled, before everything went black.

* * *

_Images flashed in front of their eyes, most too fast to see. They saw the Judai, both as he was now and older. Walking through landscapes and cities Yubel didn't recognize. And then there were others. Fighting, always fighting. Then Cocoon crashed from the sky and all that was left was death._

* * *

## 997 Before the Fall

"I love you too, you know," Judai said out of the blue as they stared out over a field near Paddra. The town wasn't far from the temple, but Judai hadn't visited in years. Not since he had his first vision and was taken to the temple. 

Yubel sputtered. "What?"

Judai just grinned at them. "You're not really subtle." 

Yubel resisted the urge to scratch the back of their head in embarrassment. "And you don't mind that I feel for you this way, even though I'm tasked to protect you?" They knew that he wasn't against people loving him, but the whole Daitokuji situation only happened because of love. 

Judai shrugged and started playing with the beaded Hane Kuriboh necklace Daitokuji had gifted him before his death. "I've known for quite a few lifetimes that we'd end up together. It was a bit surreal the first time I had a vision of you. I never imagined that I would be happy, not when I wasn't allowed to leave and always under the watchful eyes of people who were tempted with using my powers for their own gain. But there I was smiling with you. I've been looking forward to our meeting for a long time and now that I've met you, I know that I never want to let you go again."

Yubel couldn't suppress a shiver. Being the sole object of Judai's attention had always send shivers through them, but this was something else. This was all of Judai's very core, something ancient and darker than the deepest night, looking at them and acknowledging them as worthy.

Judai chuckled. “That sounded a bit creepy, didn't it? Me waiting for hundreds of years to meet you, knowing that we'll be together.”

“A bit. Such a creepy old man.”

Judai cupped Yubel's face. His eyes started to shine gold, but it wasn't because of a vision. It was Judai looking at Yubel and only Yubel with his real eyes. Yubel shuddered with something they couldn't quite pin down and let Judai pull them down into a kiss. His lips felt as soft as they looked as they moved with Yubel's, eagerly opening when Yubel's tongue asked for entrance.

* * *

## 996 Before the Fall

"Your hair is getting pretty long," Yubel said as they brushed Judai's hair. It had grown to touch just beneath his shoulder blades in the year they spend fully away from the temple. They built their own little hut into the stone not far from Paddra. Far enough for some privacy, but not far enough that a simple stop to the market demanded half a day worth of travel.

"Yeah, it's about time I let it grow."

"About time? So there is a reason?"

"Back in my first life people had always cut it very short so I decided to grow it out until my powers would kill me. I've been doing it ever since."

Yubel hummed in understanding. It made sense that the people who wished to control his every action would also control the way he looked. Even if they didn't like the undertone of it meaning that Judai's death was coming closer. For now they chose to push that part from their mind. "You will look very beautiful with it once it passes the awkward growing stage."

Judai blushed. "Thank you."

Yubel lifted his hair and placed a kiss just beneath the clasp of the necklace, taking delight in the yelp he let out before ushering him to the bed.

* * *

The next morning they still laid on the bed together even though both of them had been awake for a while. The rising sun shone through the curtains bathing them in warm sunlight. Yubel played with Judai's hair. It gave him an ethereal look whenever he saw a vision. Though the reminder that Judai would die soon made their stomach turn. If they remembered correctly Judai would only have around a year left to live. Their heart filled with sorrow at the thought.

Judai moved closer to them, more than happy to spend more time in bed. His breath ghosted over their collarbones as his legs brushed against theirs. And then something else of Yubel's started to fill.

"Judai."

He gave a questioning hum.

"I want you." _I need you._

Judai's eyes fluttered open. His eyes bore into their own as he assured himself that they really meant it. A smile appeared on his lips. "I want you too. Have been for a while," he said, his voice still deep with sleep.

"Oh? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I don't want you to feel like you need to do something for me when you're not ready yet. I love you too much to want to loose you like that."

Yubel didn't say anything. There were so many things they wanted to say, but none of them came out. So they kissed him instead. Judai melted into it, moving his lips together with Yubel's. He didn't protest when Yubel rolled them over so they were on top.

"You sure you want to do this?"

"Yes."

"Really sure? As in, absolutely sure?"

"Yubel." He hooked his legs around Yubel's waist and pushed their crotches together so Yubel could feel his hardening erection press against their own through their clothes. "Fuck me."

Yubel grinned. "As you wish." 

They leaned down to kiss the smirk that appeared on Judai's lips. Yubel dug their fingers into his sides and tickled him. Judai broke the kiss to laugh. When he arched his neck, Yubel took the opportunity to start nibbling at it. Their hands stilled as they sucked had on the spot they knew Judai liked so much. 

Sure enough, Judai's let out a loud moan. His hips moved against Yubel's own again causing them to both harden a bit more. Suddenly Yubel was very glad that they only slept in simple pants as it meant they could feel Judai's skin rubbing against their own. It also meant that they could move downward and easily suck on a nipple. Something Judai was rather sensitive too.

It didn't take long until Judai couldn't take anymore. He tugged at their hair and they easily went with the movement. "More," he demanded. 

Yubel grinned. They eagerly removed Judai's pants, pulling them off in a single fluid movement. It wasn't the first time Yubel saw Judai naked, but it was a sight they knew they'd never get tired of. The way his long hair curled around his body. The way Judai was lean, but still had muscle tone from their constant wandering through Gran Pulse. The way that-

Judai interrupted their staring by smacking their ass. "You too."

"Pushy," Yubel chuckled, but peeled out of their own pants without protest. It wasn't as graceful as removing Judai's had been, but it got the job done. 

Their erection sprung up without the pants holding it back. They watched as Judai licked his lips in anticipation. He blindly reached for the nightstand. It took him a few blind grabs, but his hand closed around the oil they mostly used to help their muscles relax after a long journey. He handed it over to Yubel.

They coated their fingers in it, not being shy about how much they were using. Once Yubel thought it was enough they turned their attention back to Judai. He had a dazzled look on his face as his eyes were glued to their oily fingers. His eyes snapped to Yubel's as he let his legs fall open. 

Yubel eagerly settled between them. Their fingers found Judai's entrance and the first slipped inside. They carefully watched Judai's face as they moved it around, looking out for any signs of pain. Thankfully, the only thing that appeared on Judai's face was a heavy blush as he muffled his voice with his hand. Now that wouldn't do.

Yubel added a second finger and grabbed the hand covering Judai's face and pulled it away. "Let me hear you." 

And hear him they did. So many little moans, so many whispers of their name. All the while Yubel felt the heat of Judai's body wrapped around their fingers. It was intoxicating to think that in a few minutes they'd feel that heat around their cock. They barely noticed that they already had three fingers in him. Only when Judai stopped them from putting in a fourth did reality catch up with them. 

"I'm ready."

Yubel removed their fingers and poured oil over them again. They made sure to covered their cock with it even better than they had their fingers. Judai watched them hungrily as they did so. Once they assumed to have enough, they guided it into Judai's hole. Yubel's eyes went back to Judai's face after they pushed the head past the ring of muscles.

Yubel took their time. They slowly pulled out before they pushed in. A torture of pleasure for both of them, only broken up through the occasional rough thrust that had Judai mewling. Eagerly swallowing every sound Judai let out, committing every expression to memory as if they'd never get to see them again. They could've continued like this for hours.

But apparently Judai had a different idea. He wrapped his arms around Yubel's shoulders and pulled them down so their ear was right next to his mouth. "I'm not going to break because of something like this, so don't hold back," Judai whispered. 

The feeling of his breath tickling Yubel's ear send another wave of lust through them. "If that's how you want it..." They tightened their grip on his hips. "Then I'll give it to you." 

Judai yelped as Yubel started to thrust into him with supernatural strength. He held onto them even more tightly. It was the only thing he could do as Yubel's thrusts continued to become harder and faster. They hit that special spot inside of him every time. His eyes rolled back. 

Yubel hissed as Judai tightened around them, but they continued to thrust through it, chasing their own orgasm. Not that it took much more. Really the only reason they'd lasted this long was their l'Cie stamina. After a few more thrusts they came deep inside Judai, painting his walls with their cum.

Both of them were breathing heavily, sticky with sweat and cum. Yubel's cock slipped out of Judai's abused hole followed by their cum. They knew they'd have to clean up, but decided to instead lie down next to Judai. He had his eyes closed and for a moment Yubel feared that they did break him.

"Still whole?" Yubel asked, brushing his bangs out of his face.

Judai hummed happily. "More than ever," he said. He opened his eyes and grinned at them playfully. 

Yubel snorted. "You're horrible." 

"And you're great."

Yubel shook their head and placed a lingering kiss on his forehead as he chuckled.

* * *

## ??? After The Fall: Valhalla

Everything was dark. Yubel couldn't see anything except for a few flickers of golden strands that disappeared as fast as they appeared. They drifted aimlessly in this nothingness that had no escape no matter how much they strained their eyes. The only thing they could feel was the burning of their l'Cie brand. A constant pain that was the only thing that kept them from being completely numb.

"Hello? Is anybody there?" Yubel screamed. Their voice echoed, yet was swallowed by the darkness just as fast.

"Hush, child. There is no need to scream," a voice whispered directly into their mind. 

Yubel gasped. The sudden voice set of their fighting instincts. Their heart beat wild in their chest, filling their body with adrenaline to fight off the invisible foe. "Who...?"

"I'm known as the Gentle Darkness."

The Gentle Darkness, creator of life and god of time and death. This couldn't be real, but they felt something brush against them. It smoothed over the place on their forehead where their l'Cie brand burned. The pain started to disappear.

"You have taken good care of one who I have given my eyes to. I know that you two will accomplish great things."

"How? I've fulfilled my focus, I'll turn to crystal," they would. They'd turn to crystal and be put into the hall filled with the crystals of everyone that came before them. And they hadn't even helped Judai get another Guardian. He'd have to go back to the temple and live with those damned priests preying on him. Just after they finally got him out too.

"Not if I can help it."

"Wha- What do you mean?"

"I can grant you the power needed to watch over Judai for the rest of his lives. There would never exist a Judai without you standing by his side. Is that something you would want?"

Yubel thought of Judai's smile, of how fascinated he was with the smallest things when he could see eternity. Of the soft feel of his skin beneath their hands and his soft lips against their own. Of how all he really wanted was to see a future where everyone is smiling and how Yubel wanted to be there to see it become reality. Judai's visions of them being there for him. "More than anything."

"Then take my heart and become his eternal guardian."

Out of the Darkness appeared a glowing red heart. It pulsed as it was pushed into Yubel's chest. Screams of pain escaped them when it entered their body. The heart's powers flowed through them burning them from the inside out. They felt their body changing, but the pain was simply too much to bear.

Golden strands wrapped around them and just for a moment they could see through the darkness and make out the outline of a crystal throne hanging in the air before they lost consciousness.

* * *

## 996 Before the Fall

Yubel awoke slowly. Their body and mind felt heavy. Their senses were dull, but even now there was only one thing at the front of their mind. 

"Ju...dai..." Their voice was raspy and sounded strange to their own ears. It was as if they had more than one voice, but that was stupid. Only fal'Cie had that, sometimes Judai when he was speaking through a vision, but not Yubel.

They lifted their left hand to try and massage the soreness away only to stop when they caught sight of their hand. Their very strange looking hand. Half of their fingers were switched out with long, sickly looking claws while the rest was coated in a thick layer of purple scales. 

"What the…"

They jumped from the bed and promptly landed on the floor as they couldn't balance on their feet. They looked down to find that one had been switched for something like a foot from a Chocobo, just in a fitting design to their left hand while the other looked like a heeled boot. 

Their eyes wandered further over the expanse of purple scales where there used to be soft skin. Horns and wings where there previously had been none. A breast they didn't know what to do with. 

They ran their hands through their hair in panic only to notice that one half had a darker tone then their usual one while the other had turned stark white. They let out a roar that shattered the windows and turned over the bed.

Judai entered the room. His long hair wasn't as beautifully brushed as usual and there were dark rings beneath his eyes. He took one look at the situation and ran over to Yubel to hold them close. "Yubel! You're alright! It will be okay!"

"How can this be alright? I look like I'm a Cei'th! Hell, for all I know I am one! A failed one at that because apparently I can't even do that right!" They screamed as their claws dug into Judai's skin. They removed them just as quickly, but the skin was already damaged with blood collecting on the surface. Judai didn't pay any attention to the wounds.

"But you're not!" He cupped their face and forced them to look at him. "You're not a Cei'th. You fulfilled your focus, remember? The Gentle Darkness gave you its heart so we could always be together."

Slowly the memories returned. Of a l'Cie who had just received his focus, enraged that the fal'Cie hadn't given him the one he asked for. He probably didn't know who they were when he went after them, just some random travelers to use his shiny new powers on. They remembered protecting Judai with their own body while returning the attacks. They knew they killed the guy and then...then they woke up surrounded by Darkness.

It still felt like a dream, but when they looked down they could see the red glow of the heart on Judai's clothes. They took deep breaths, breathing in Judai's scent stronger then they could previously. They felt his hands still holding them as if they were the most precious thing on Gran Pulse. Looking at Judai they could almost believe that. 

"Would you even want to be with me when I look like this?"

"Of course. You're still Yubel, the one I love above anything else. You suddenly growing a boob and wings doesn't make me love you any less."

Yubel choked out a half laugh. "You're an idiot."

"Look in the mirror. I'm not the one who thought I would love you less just because you're now some hot dragon hybrid."

"Hot, huh?"

"Insanely hot," Judai confirmed with a nod.

"Didn't know you had a monster kink."

"I didn't really know until either. I mean, I saw, but I didn't _see_."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

"And what does a dragon have to do around here to get with a pretty one like you?" Yubel asked, ranking their claws down his sides, careful to not dig them in again.

Judai shivered, but caught himself. "Get healthy. I don't want you to pass out on me in the middle of it. Also learning how to walk. I'm not strong enough to carry you around and as much as your flailing is going to be very amusing to watch, you know I can get a bit impatient."

"Fair enough."

* * *

Yubel walked up to where Judai was preparing food at the counter. It had taken them a while to figure out moving with this new body of theirs, especially since it was at least a head taller then it had been previously, but they quickly found good things about it. 

Their claws cut through things easier than any sword had. Their bigger form made holding Judai close much better with the added bonus of being able to cocoon him using their wings. They knew that they could fly, but that would still take a bit more time. The glow of the heart was thankfully something they could control, turning it off whenever they went out, but letting it glow at night so Judai could brush his fingers against it, something he really seemed to enjoy. 

Which brought them to another plus point: Judai's constant state of arousal around them. They loved that they could make Judai react in such a way with the smallest touches. He was always quick to flee the scene when his arousal became too much as Yubel looked after him with a smug smirk. 

It had taken a while, but at last their movements were sure on ground and their skin had stopped hurting. Therefore it was the perfect time to seduce Judai back into their bed. To do something more than just sleeping.

Judai didn't move as they walked up behind him. Not even when they hugged him from behind. He just continued to cut vegetables. Yubel watched him like this for a minute, fascinated by the way his hands moved, before they switched to what they came to do.

"You know, I think I'm healthy enough."

"That so?" Judai asked, not looking up from what he was doing.

Yubel started kissing up and down his neck. Sucking a darker bruise into the skin every so often. "Yes."

"Care to prove it?"

"What do you want me to do?" Their left hand slipped beneath his shirt, and wandered over skin, careful to not scratch him open.

"I got a few ideas."

"Like?" Yubel asked against his neck. Their right, more human looking, hand slipped past the waistband of his pants to wrap around his hardening cock.

He moaned when they started stroking it. "Fighting a Behemoth."

Yubel stopped all movement at that. "Really?" It wouldn't be the most outlandish task he send them on, but they didn't really feel like taking on a beast twice the size of their house right now. They would, don't get them wrong, but they'd really rather not.

Judai set down the knife and pushed the food away from him. He put his hands on the counter and rolled his hips back, pushing against Yubel's own hardening cock. He grinned at them over his shoulder. "No."

"Still a tease, I see."

"Would you want me any other way?" Judai asked as he took his shirt off.

Yubel's eyes roamed his exposed skin. They followed his hair and the curve of his spine towards his ass. They released Judai's cock in order to rip his pants apart with their claws. "Probably not."

"And you call me impatient." 

"I waited for this for weeks." 

"Well, _I_ waited for this for a few lifetimes."

Yubel narrowed their eyes at him as he snickered. They playfully nicked his with their fangs, careful not to break the skin. "If you waited so long already, then I'm sure you can wait a few more minutes."

Judai pouted at that. Yubel send him a toothy grin before grabbing a bottle of oil from the counter. Not the one they usually used, but it would do. They removed the cork and made to coat their fingers in it on autopilot when Judai stopped them.

"From now on, it's better I do that."

Yubel was confused for a moment before looking down at their claws. Their very long, deadly claws. "Ah, yeah... That's probably for the best."

Judai held his hand out and Yubel poured oil over it. He slightly rubbed it between his fingers, warming it up. Once he was satisfied with that, he moved his fingers behind him. He found his hole quickly and pushed the first finger in even faster. All of this was done with more practice than the last time Yubel watched him do it. 

"You got better at that."

Judai smiled over his shoulder at them. "I got a lot of alone time lately and I knew that I needed to get better at it now."

Yubel hummed. Their eyes transfixed on where a second finger now slipped inside. He moved them around, coating his walls in oil and scissoring himself open. He barely spend a minute doing that before removing his fingers.

"I'm ready."

Yubel frowned. "Already? You're going to need a bit more than just two fingers to take me."

Judai didn't look away from the counter top. "I'm still ready from before..." 

"Still rea- don't tell me you did it while I was out doing my morning training."

Judai's silence was answer enough. 

"Show me."

Judai leaned over the counter. His hands spread his ass cheeks, showing off his twitching hole to Yubel. They took the invitation for what it was and wasted no time to push inside. Judai was loose enough to allow their cock to slide in, but somehow he still felt tight around them. By the time they were in balls deep both of them were breathing heavily. 

"You got so much tighter."

"You just got bigger, goddamned dra- Aah!"

"What was that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of you screaming for me."

Judai muttered to himself, but that stopped as Yubel thrusted in once more. Every single thrust was fast and hard. Their claws slightly dug into Judai's skin from where Yubel was holding onto his hips. Yet Judai was as eager as Yubel, using the resistance the counter gave him to meet their thrusts halfway. 

Yubel's felt their control slipping from their hands. The red glow of their heart painted Judai's back, their fangs yearned to bite down on Judai's neck. They barely kept their claws from sinking further into Judai and instead forced their cock as deeply into Judai as they could. Yubel came with a road that rattled the building. Judai's own orgasm was very much silent compared to it.

Yubel took a few minutes to calm down before pulled out and watched as cum started to drip out of Judai. However, unlike before there was much, _much_ more of it. "This is... unexpected."

Judai let out a whine as cum continued to flow out of him. Yubel used his destroyed pants to soak up the worst of it. Then they wandered through the hut collecting several other old pieces of clothing and proceeded to clean both Judai and the floor until they were as clean as they were going to be without a proper wash. (It wasn't that clean all things considered, but at least there no longer was a puddle.)

Judai looked up from where his face was buried in his arms. Yubel watched as he looked at their cock doubtfully. "How the hell to you even fit that thing in those shorts of yours?"

They grinned. "Magic."

Judai groaned and let his head fall into his arms again. "Before next time, you definitely need to work o your control."

"Of course, my love."

* * *

## 995 Before the Fall

Yubel had dreaded this day.

They knew that it was coming any day now. Judai had told them that none of his bodies lived to turn 18 and he had been 17 for a while now. And yet when it came they felt wholly unprepared.

One moment Judai stood next to them, having a vision, the next he was crumpling to the ground. They caught him in time and held him close as he gasped for breath. It was all they needed to see to know that this was the last time.

They didn't know what to do or what to say. It felt like they needed to tell him everything, yet nothing felt important enough to fell him then. “I'm sorry...I couldn't-” Their throat closed around the last words, not letting them escape.

“There is nothing to be sorry for. This is a type of death you can't possibly prevent,” Judai said. He looked so calm with the situation. If it weren't for the shaking of his hands on their arm, they might've bought it too.

“It's okay to cry, you know? For me it'll be only a short time until we meet again, but you will be alone longer. I'm sorry for that.”

“Don't apologize...for things you have no control over.”

Judai gave a weak laugh. “Same for you then, idiot.”

"You're the idiot."

"And...what does that make you then? Seeing how you love me so much."

"An even bigger one."

Judai grinned one last time before he went limp. 

* * *

## 980 Before the Fall

When Yubel felt the call they thought they were still dreaming. So many times did they wake to a reality where Judai no longer existed from their dream where he was alive and happy once more. They were ready to brush it off until the tugging at their heart became too much to write down as a dream.

They jumped up and ran out of the cave they called their temporary home as staying at the hut had become too painful. Once outside they spread their wings and took into the air. Their heart guided them. Over fields and through valleys, past a forest and over a lake. 

They didn't care about the dirt they conjured up when they landed. Only Judai.

And there he stood. He was as young as he was during their first meeting, though he already had long bangs framing his face. He also didn't look as annoyed with everyone as he did in his past life, though that might be because they weren't hovering over him as much. As soon as he saw them his eyes began to sparkle and a wide grin took over his face.

“Yubel!” Judai screamed as he barreled into them.

They easily caught him and held him close. They felt his breath against their collarbone and his warmth through his clothes. He was real. He was truly here again, back in their arms where he belonged.

“Judai...” They whispered like a prayer, afraid that he would disappear from their arms if they spoke too loud.

"I'm here. We'll be together again just like I said."

They couldn't hold back the tears of joy anymore. They didn't care who saw them cry the years of loneliness away into Judai's hair. They had Judai back. That was all that mattered.

* * *

900 Before the Fall

"Here," Judai said holding out a small package.

Yubel took it from him. "What is this for?"

"It's been 100 years since we met, so I had it made."

"Ah, I didn't get you anything yet."

Judai waved them off. "It's fine, we still got some time. Go on, open it!"

Yubel carefully cut through the ribbon and paper packaging with a claw. They frowned at what was inside. They never expected anything like this. "A pink...leopard...scarf?"

Judai still smiled brightly, stars in his eyes.

"Thank you." They put it around their neck, letting it hang loosely. "How do I look?"

"Great! It fits you even better in person then in my visions."

"You always say that."

"Because it's true! Sometimes I still can't believe that you aren't someone I made up in all my years of loneliness in the temple."

Had Yubel still been human, their face would've lit up in a bright red flush. But even without the ability to blush, they hid their face in their hands. “You shouldn't say things like that, idiot.”

“Wha- Hey! Look in the mirror! You're the idiot between both of us!” Judai protested.

Yubel kissed his forehead. “Guess I am.”

* * *

## 800 Before the Fall

Judai woke up with a gasp, his eyes shining golden. The lack of sunlight told him that it was still deep in the night, but he didn't care they needed to go _now_. He turned to Yubel and bean shaking them. "Yubel! C'mon Yubel, wake up!"

Yubel made a few grumpy noises, but didn't show any sign of waking. Judai frowned and pushed them off the bed. They loudly crashed to the floor nearly taking some nearby potted plants with them. 

They sat up and glared at him over the edge of the bed. "What was that for?"

"For not waking up. C'mon, we have to go see Anima as soon as we can," he said as he dressed himself as fast as he could, foregoing washing up or brushing his hair.

"But that's all the way in Oerba."

"We'll fly over."

Yubel frowned. "Judai. Judai, look at me!" Judai stopped hastily pinning up his hair. "What did you see?"

"Cocoon needs to fall and Darkness has shown me a way that doesn't include the death of everyone already within."

"And Anima is the key?"

"It's the only one that will both listen to me and do what needs to be done. It loves humans more than enough to create something with the potential to grow more powerful than any fal'Cie."

Yubel sighed. "Okay, we'll go, but not without breakfast."

Judai's stomach rumbled in agreement.

* * *

Flying to Oerba was fast. The sun barely peaked over the horizon when they arrived at the gigantic structure that was Anima's temple. A tower like building decorated with chains and a gigantic metal bull skull. Clearly Anima had taste. The priest looking after it recognized them thankfully so demanding entrance was more than easy.

"You are welcome to enter, but...," he trailed off, looking at Yubel's clawed foot. "I'll ask you to fly to not damage the floor."

"Fine by me."

Yubel took Judai into their arms. They waited until Judai put his arms around their neck before taking off. They flew through the temple through big corridors and past all sorts of little riddles that blocked the way to the fal'Cie. But more than anything there were stairs, lots and lots of stairs. Very pretty stairs, but stairs nonetheless.

"Why are there so many stairs? Imagine if we actually had to walk all of these."

"Yubel!"

"What? You're thinking the same."

Judai buried his face in their neck. "Anima can hear us," he mumbled in protest. 

"Then it should know about how much of a pain its stairs are."

They arrived in front of a gigantic set of stairs with statues lined on both sides. It lead up to a big doorway that was sealed with a red version of Anima's mark. The same eye that had once been on Yubel's forehead surrounded by arrows. As they neared the red mark shone brightly before disappearing.

"O..kay?"

"Anima's expecting us." 

"How inviting. How do people walk up to fal'Cie and ask for a focus again? Because this would've made me turn right back if I was human."

"Desperation..."

"Ah."

"...and stupidity."

Yubel snorted, but quieted as they reached Anima's chamber. Everything was made out of metal. A complex machine that no one would have ever the chance to understand. In the middle of the room was a metal construction barely taller than Yubel connected to the ceiling with cables. (Or at least Yubel assumed them to be cables, they were big enough to be anything really.)

"So... where is it?"

"In here," Judai said tapping the construction's hull. "It's scared that you'll kill it if it fully shows itself."

"Can you still talk to it?"

"Yes, being this close is enough." Judai closed his eyes. Darkness swirled around him. It slipped through any gabs of the hull to wherever Anima sat. The Darkness didn't disappear for as long as Judai kept his eyes closed. When he opened them, Yubel caught the sight of a red glow, before they went back to their usual brown. 

"We're done here," Judai declared. He grabbed their hand and lead them outside of the chamber. The door sealed behind them as they sat down on the stairs to rest up. 

Yubel had one arm laid across his shoulders and pulled him into their side. "What did it say?"

"That if you think its stairs are so horrible you should see the moving floors in the tallest tower."

"Really?"

"Yep," he confirmed. "Well, that and that it'll take care of making all the l'Cie needed and giving them parts of my vision as their focus."

"So all that's left is to wait."

"Yeah…" Judai looked down into his hands. 

"Hey, you did what you could."

"I know. I just wish I had a body as durable as yours."

"I'd rather not think about how much trouble you'd get in if you could just brush most things off. Just thinking about it gives me a heart attack."

Judai pouted. "Mean."

"But who knows why Darkness does things. Maybe it's so you fly under the radar of the other gods or maybe Darkness wasn't thinking things through. Just like how it didn't think things through when it gave me its heart."

"No, the heart fits you. You're the one that made me aware of how much I wasn't using mine before."

For a moment the red glow appeared before Yubel got it back under control. Judai huffed a small laugh. The future Judai wished for was getting closer, but Yubel wished it was already here.

(They did later go to the tallest tower. Yubel took one look at it and toppled it, leaving just a little over half of it standing. No one needed that many floors - especially not when the fal'Cie of the tower changed their arrangement whenever it felt like it.)

* * *

## 600 Before the Fall

They stood on top of a cliff looking down at the two girls from Oerba that would bring an end to the war between Grand Pulse and Cocoon. They were on their way towards Anima's temple, ready to become l'Cie for the sake of protecting Gran Pulse from Cocoon. 

"Those two will bring death to many even if it would end in peace. Do you really want to allow that?" This war had already cost both Cocoon and Gran Pulse a lot. But to end it like this… It would only cause more death. 

"While I don't want the others to die, I don't see any happy future that doesn't involve them turning into Ragnarök."

Yubel looked at Judai, he had pulled up a silky red veil to cover the lower part of his face. Not that the thin fabric actually hid anything. The tears flowing down his face and the way he bit his lip were clear to see for Yubel. Wordlessly they opened their arms. Judai wasted no time to bury his face in their scales as their wings wrapped around them.

The war had taken its toll on Judai. He had used his powers more then he allowed himself to in centuries to get the best possible outcome in the future. And still he couldn't find a better way.

* * *

Cocoon was cracked open, yet it didn't fall. 

The blue of the inside, the underside of whatever city or place was located there, was beautiful, if only it wasn't a constant reminder of all that was lost to it and how barren the war left Gran Pulse. Cocoon's fal'Cie had ripped away parts of the land in order to repair the Cocoon's shell. They had taken Anima with them. If on purpose on not, remained to be seen.

"It was incomplete," Judai said about Ragnarök's form. "Only one of them committed and the power backlash will take her memories of her focus. Now it all hinges on whenever or not her partner decides if she can live with guilt or die with it. But that won't come to pass either way for a long time."

"Crystal sleep. It always sounds out to be such a great thing, the highest accomplishment of any l'Cie, yet it's a curse on its own." A cursed that so far had befallen every Guardian before them. "Not dead, yet no life. Only a constant state of being aware."

"They will wake up on the first of 13 days. Chaos will reign, but in the end there is peace. And everyone will be smiling."

Yubel was quiet for a moment. They let Judai work through things in his mind once more. They knew that he needed it to free himself of the guilt to let people die in order to create a future where people would live. It took a few minutes but Judai was able to pull himself together for now. "Where to you want to go next?"

"The south. I know that at some point the desert turns to snow. I just want to draw things with my footsteps and to build a man out of snow."

Yubel grinned. "I bet I'll be able to build a bigger one than you."

Judai gasped in fake hurt. "No, you won't!"

"Yes, I will!"

"Guess I'll have to get there first to prove you wrong!" With that Judai took off.

"Wait! Judai! That's not even south!"

* * *

## 000 Before the Fall

They were on Cocoon. Not a place Yubel ever expected them to go to, but here they were. The air felt heavy, no doubt caused by the fal'Cie and the preparations to purge the city. Yet Judai didn't let that distract him from the fireworks they came to see.

"All the would be l'Cie are assembled and Anima is awake. It's only a matter of days before it ends."

"Then we should leave before they'll try to purge us too."

Judai hummed. "It's fine if we stay just a bit longer. They'll build the barricades tonight. The purge trains won't be loaded until the day after tomorrow."

Yubel still had doubts, but gave in. There was no point in changing Judai's mind if he didn't see any danger. "If you say so."

"It's beautiful."

Yubel spared a glace to the fireworks before their eyes returned to Judai. They watched how the fireworks made his eyes look like stars and his skin glow in different colours. "Indeed."

Judai must've felt their stare as he turned around to face them. "You're not even watching."

"I'm sorry. You're just too gorgeous to look away from."

Another colour appeared on Judai's skin, though this one he made himself. "That so?"

Yubel hummed. Judai grinned and kissed them. Yubel wrapped their arms around his waist. Judai broke the kiss and nuzzled their neck.

"I just want to stay here with you."

Yubel tightened their grip, holding Judai just a bit closer as if that would stop him from running through their fingers over and over again. "Yeah, me too."

"One we have peace, I want us to get married under fireworks like these."

"Got to announce it to everyone, huh?"

Judai laughed. "Nothing less would do."

"Then we will," Yubel promised. "Though we'd have to rob some people to afford it."

"I'm sure you'll manage."

"Oh, now I'm supposed to go evil?"

"You've got the looks for it."

"How rude."

"Don't worry, I'll love you even if you are a common thief. In a way you already are."

Yubel narrowed their eyes. They could see the trap for what it was, but decided to spring it anyway. "What did I steal?"

"My heart."

Yubel sighed. "You're horrible."

"You love it."

"I do. I really do."

* * *

## 000 After the Fall

They had seen Cocoon fall. 

It had taken 600 years, but this time both girls had committed and formed the complete Ragnarök. The fal'Cie that preyed on humans were dead and without them, Cocoon fell from the sky. But Ragnarök, instead of letting it crash into Gran Pulse and destroying both, caught Cocoon. Their focus to kill the fal'Cie complete, the girls turned into crystal. Their crystal build a crystal pillar and mantle around the whole of Cocoon, holding it in the sky, even if not as high as before. 

The sunset played beautifully with the crystal. The wide smile on Judai's face made all the pain over how the war ended worth it. Judai would definitely demand to visit the pillar in the future and Yubel was looking forward to it.

"It's here. The Day of Ragnarök. There can finally be peace. Everyone is smiling."

But then Judai stilled, his eyes shining gold. His smile slid from his face and he shook his head. Yubel frowned.

"No...no…"

"Judai?"

"No no no no no!" He continued shaking his head and started ripping at his hair.

Yubel took his hands in theirs to stop him from hurting himself further. "Talk to me, Judai!"

"The Light. It used Darkness' gift to poison it. Darkness had to take one of the 6 to defend it in Valhalla. The whole timeline is...it's just gone and Light is everywhere. It ruined everything. And just when everyone was finally smiling."

Tears started streaming down his face. He weakly let himself fall in Yubel’s arms. Yubel held him closer as he cried until he went slack in their arms. The amount of visions he received at once had overloaded his brain. The crystal no longer represented a happy future, but held only death.

* * *

## 010 After the Fall: Ruin's of the Seer's Temple

Yubel wasn't with him the first time he met the time travelers. The ones chosen by the Gentle Darkness and its champion to unwind the knots in the timeline that the Light created. It wasn't an easy job, but one that needed to be done. 

Judai watched as the two time travelers left the golden shimmering gate behind them. They walked with a clear goal in mind. Judai had no intention of letting them reach it before he had a talk with them, especially the one with the long brown hair. Fubuki, brother of the champion that was fighting against the Light in Valhalla. To anyone else the stain might've been invisible, but they shared eyes now and Judai could clearly see that the boy was already starting to fade.

"Welcome back," he said and stepped into their path.

"How did you…?"

"Judai," the taller one, Jim, acknowledged. 

"Did you come through the gate too?" Fubuki asked.

Judai shook his head. "The Judai you met was a different one, one from the far future." And wasn't it weird to speak of himself in third person? But he wasn't that Judai now, not yet.

They both looked at each other helplessly confused. 

"What?" Fubuki asked Jim as if he held all the answers to the universe.

Jim shook his head. "So you don't know me either?"

No, no he didn't. But he looked forward to it. He knew Jim would be very close to him and Yubel and he knew that Jim would achieve great things. He looked forward to watching Jim grow up, but if being with Yubel taught him anything it was that seeing his future self happy and actually experiencing said happiness were very different things. "I know about you. Who you are to me and Yubel. Other than that I don't know you either, but I've been watching you both."

Fubuki looked at Judai. "You can see the future, can't you?"

"I can trace the timeline. I can see the future and lead others towards peace. I came here to confirm something, I already know." His eyes flashed golden as he looked at Fubuki. "You and I are the same."

"What do you mean?"

What? "You can show others the way too."

"I still don't get it. How are we the same?"

Judai looked at him in disbelief. How...did he not get that? He all but spelled it out to Fubuki so why-? He never really got by what people meant when they said "kids these days" since pretty much everyone was a kid to him. But now, looking at the boy who asked him about being a seer in the ruins of his once home and completely forgot all about that two sentences later, he got it.

He turned on his heel and walked away. He ignored the calls for an explanation. There is nothing he could do here and he was getting hungry. He was pretty sure Yubel would be back with dinner by now and he knew they would have a blast listening to this.

* * *

Judai and Yubel watched from above as the time travelers left through the gate they came through. The travelers had watched the prophecies of the Oracle Drive and made plans with the Director of Academy Marufuji Sho. Things were slowly going back towards a happier future.

One moment Judai was standing next to Yubel, in the next one he found himself on the floor.

"Judai!" Yubel rushed to his side and picked him up. 

He blindly reached for their hand as he gasped for air that refused to fill his lungs. They grabbed both of his in one hand and gave them a quick kiss. He didn't want to go yet, but he barely had enough enough strength for one last smile before he was gone. His hands slid from Yubel's. His head rolled back.

Yubel gathered him closer in their arms. They didn't hold back their tears. There was no one around who would shame them and the only one that could saw no shame in crying.

"How many times must I see this?"

There was no answer, as expected. But it still filled their heart with rage. How dare the Light put Judai through this? Through having to watch the timeline change so much and yet remain one without a happy end?

They remained like this for a few more moments before they picked up Judai in a bridal carry. They glared down at the golden gate for a moment. But no, it was no time to seek revenge, Judai's body needed to be laid to rest. Everything else could come after.

* * *

## 200 After the Fall

Staying within the confines of a time paradox might not be the best place to rest for most people, but it allowed Judai to see less. Plus, there was an Oracle Drive for him to feed his visions to as soon as he has them. Yubel spend quite some time trying to make sense of some of them. Judai didn't mind. If he wasn't the one seeing all these visions first hand he would probably be doing the same.

Another plus were the flowerbeds. They were always filled with blooming flowers that didn't wither away. It reminded him of the gardens he and Yubel used to walk through when they first met. Though they were nowhere close in size.

It was the closest they came to having a normal life. Judai wished that they could stay here and grow old together. He wanted to see age mark itself down on both his and Yubel's faces as their house filled with more and more trinkets they picked up over the years. He wanted slow dances that were getting hard on their brittle bones. He wanted long nights of just letting life pass them by without there being any responsibilities of upholding the timeline.

But that would always remain a fantasy. Nothing more. Nothing less. For now he'd hoard every little one of these moments close to his chest. He knew that it wouldn't last forever.

And he was right. 

He heard them before he saw them, tucked away in his corner of flowerbeds that had grown taller than him as he was. The time travelers made their way through this timeless Oerba. The birthplace of the only two women strong enough to hold up Cocoon. Sometimes he could make out the cries of Momoe begging Junko to forgive her for her weakness. A memory of a crystal sleep long past caught up by the paradox. 

"It looks like an Oracle drive," Fubuki said.

"Yeah."

That brought Judai's attention back to the situation at hand. "Stop!"

Fubuki's head snapped around, but not before his fingers lightly grazed the top of the Oracle Drive. It flared green and threw him back into Jim.

"Fubuki?!" Jim yelled as he caught the other. "You alright?"

Fubuki didn't get to answer as the vision materialized in front of them.

_Asuka being freed from her crystal sleep while the crystallized Cocoon towered over her._

_Fubuki and a little boy, Austin O'Brien running towards her. Her smiling. _

"Asuka?" Fubuki asked. He raised on of his hands as if he could touch her. 

_Fubuki running hand in hand with a man with spiked up black hair, Jun, his fiance._

_"Asuka? Asuka!" He all but threw himself into her arms which she welcomed, holding him just as tightly. _

_Asuka smiled into his shoulder. "Fubuki, I'm sorry."_

_Fubuki loosened the hug and smiled at her before he was pulled into Jun's side. _

_"Hey, hey, hey, the apologies can wait!" Jun declared which made both Asuka and Fubuki chuckle. "We've got a wedding to plan, right?" _

_"Jun, you don't mess around, do you?" Sho asked. _

_Austin's father grinned next to him, little Austin now sat on his shoulders. "Kid doesn't miss a beat."_

_"C'mon! What do you say? Asuka, I swear to you I will make him happy!"_

_Asuka let out a small chuckle. "Alright, alright. This will be one hell of a headache, won't it?"_

_The vision distorted. A quick flash of Yubel's rage filled face before it switched to Fubuki. His tear filled eyes searching for a sister that was no longer there._

"My memories...they're real, aren't they?" Fubuki asked no one in particular.

_Sho giving Fubuki his sister's knife, the only proof that she was there at all. Cocoon getting swallowed by the Light. _

_Asuka running. Trying to hold onto a ledge but getting ripped from the timeline all the same._

_Fubuki looking at the others, searching for help and answers they can't give._

_The crystal pillar giving way and Cocoon crashing down._

_Fubuki on the ground crying, Jun at his side. The people that were celebrating their victory moments before, now grieving the loss of their friend._

"The prophecy...it's been changed!"

Jim frowned. "But...that's impossible."

Yubel obviously had enough of them. They landed on the roof behind where the vision manifested, their form visible through the transparent leftover magic. "If you change the future, you change the past."

Both travelers gasped.

"It keeps changing?" Fubuki asked.

Yubel huffed. "Change is the constant." They wrapped both wings around them before cutting through the leftover vision. They landed between the travelers and the Oracle Drive. 

Jim stepped in front of Fubuki. "Yubel," he spat.

"I saw you. I saw both of you," Judai said, trying to take off Jim's edge, but he knew a fight was inevitable. He tried to walk past them to Yubel's side, but Jim stepped between them. He took a hold of Judai's shoulders and slightly bend down to force Judai to make eye contact with him, but Judai stared straight ahead.

"Judai?" Jim asked. His voice was filled with disbelief at seeing Judai alive and well. Judai would probably act the same in his stead if it was Daitokuji appearing before him. One did not normally see their parent walk around, especially not in the past and not in the middle of a time paradox.

"What? You mean the seer?"

So this meant that he was probably the one they meant back in 10 AF. But this also meant that he was the first version they met. Not the best of first meetings. "I'm not the Judai you know."

"But..." Jim's grip went slack. He ducked his head and stepped aside, allowing Judai to pass him.

"You must understand, Judai has many lives. There must always exist a Judai."

"Yubel..." Jim growled. 

"Wait… I saw you! My sister was fighting you!"

"What are you doing here in this time?"

"I learned about your journey, hopping back and forth along the timeline. Judai has been watching everything you do."

Jim swallowed. "No... He's been watching us?" 

"Yes, I see you understand the significance of that. Then you also know that I can't just let you continue like this. Stumbling through time, barely knowing how to set one foot in front of the other. You shall pay for your crimes in blood."

Yubel's third eye began to glow blood red. A thick, thorned vine broke through the wood in front of their feet. Jim barely had enough time to pull Fubuki out of the way as the vine annihilated the spot he just stood. They barely managed to get out of the way of the second vine as well, but they weren't so lucky with the third one. Fubuki was knocked out while Jim was left to catch his breath.

Jim glared up at Yubel as they came near. "Stop this, Yubel! I'm not going to fight you!" 

"Times have changed. I'm not the Yubel you knew. You may think you are doing the right thing, but you're causing more harm than good."

Judai looked at his feet. There laid a red rose, Yubel's favorite. Seeing it lying there felt like another end. He picked it up, carefully rolled it between his fingers. "It's too late. The Light has already poisoned too many. This is the only way life might bloom again."

The vines disappeared as Yubel knelt in front of Judai. "But...do we really have accept this, Judai?"

Judai wasn't sure how to answer such a loaded question. Must we really accept our cursed lives? He certainly didn't want to accept the reality of only having so few years with Yubel and spending most of them trying to subtly guide things to a happier future. All he wanted was to curl up in Yubel's arms and sleep his life away. But that is not an option. It never was.

Instead of answering, he put the rose in Yubel's hair, the red a stark contrast against the white. He placed a kiss on top of their hair and then tilted their face up to place another on their lips.

Fubuki and Jim slowly recovered from the attack, but didn't leave their places on the floor yet. Judai moved his headdress, freeing his long hair as he mentioned for Yubel to stand.

"If you change the future, you change the past. You can remold history to your heart's desires."

Yubel moved from their spot. A large hand was placed on the small of Judai's back. "Let's go before you have to see the timeline change again."

Judai nodded. He took a deep breath. Smelling the flowers, the dust of the buildings and the sands of the paradox. He didn't dare to turn around and take one last look at their small house or the flowerbeds. He knew that he wouldn't be able to stomach leaving them and all they stood for behind, but he also didn't want Yubel's memories of this place to be soured by watching him die here. 

So he followed Yubel through the rift in time they summoned, leaving their little happy place to be nothing but a memory.

* * *

## 400 After the Fall: A fal'Cie's City

Judai clutched the blankets that hid his bare form. Yubel had left hours prior, the Gentle Darkness had called upon them and they didn't want to chance him getting killed in the crossfire. So they told him to catch some sleep. But now it looked like all that was for nothing. 

He had seen himself die. No seer was allowed to not follow a vision of their own death as it would derange the timeline. He had done that mistake once and he would not do it again.

Judai decided against taking a shower. For one it was raining outside and two, well, he didn't want to clear his skin of Yubel's scent when it looked to be the only part of Yubel that would be with him in the end.

He felt numb as he got dressed. He carefully put on every bracelet, every necklace. He let himself get lost in the memories of last night, when Yubel had taken them all off just as carefully. How they teased him with their touches, just barely brushing against his skin and leaving him wanting more. After that they had taken even more time with his clothes. 

Judai's smiled sadly as he remembered getting fed up with their teasing. He had pushed them down, climbed into their lap and rode them. He felt sore from it, but Yubel's faces and noises were more than worth it.

And now they were some of the last memories he made with Yubel in this life.

Maybe the death he needed to die was caused by this time no longer being true, the fal'Cie that ruled over the city, making everyone it wanted into a Cie'th could be nothing but a paradox. Yet he had to live in this time anyway and now he had to die. He didn't even know if his memories would live on or if he would simply cease to exist all together.

Judai shuddered. He shouldn't think so much. It didn't do him any good. 

When he stepped outside the alarms were already blaring. Fubuki and Jim had already entered this time then. Good. It was harder then expected to find a place to slip through the barricades, even for someone as small and lean as him. Most of the Cei'th he came over were dead or not the kind he saw in his vision. He needed the flying ones and even those wouldn't be the ones to kill him.

And then finally Judai did. He ignored Fubuki and Jim fighting other Cei'th to one side of the balcony they were on and walked over to the winged Cei'th.

They circled over him. He held his arms out to them, making himself the easiest target. He hated the noises they made, the echoing sound sending shivers down his back, yet he didn't - couldn't - allow himself to flinch. He heard someone scream his name, but he didn't move. 

Not even when one flew low and kicked him in the head. He let himself sink to the floor. 

How he hated this. He was so bad at sitting still and dying. It's why he mostly died through his visions. That was a nice way of dying. Over in a few moments and mostly with Yubel at his side. Dammit now he wanted to cry.

"Judai!"

Judai lifted his head. Jim crouched in front of him, his face closer then he was comfortable with right now. Fubuki stood behind him.

"Are you okay?"

No, no he wasn't. 

Jim gently took ahold of one of his hands and allowed Judai to use it to pull himself up. It would've almost been a nice reunion if it wasn't for the circumstances. Namely Cei'th with tentacles through which electricity runs. Judai screamed in pain.

"No!"

The Cei'th jumped down from an upper balcony. It lifted Judai in the air and then smashed him into the ground. Judai heard several bones breaking. He came to a stop a few meters away the Cei'th now standing between Judai and the time travelers.

For the next few minutes he went in and out of consciousness, each time hoping that this time he won't wake up. Everything hurt and he couldn't so much as twitch a finger. How he wished he would've died from someone shooting him. Hell, he'd even take getting eaten by Cocoon's wildlife over this and Cocoon's wildlife was disgusting. 

He heard as panicked breathing came closer. He felt someone pick him up. "Judai? Judai, why?" Oh, it was Jim.

Judai forced his eyes open. "I saw my death. I'm not allowed to use my visions to dodge my own death it would cause trouble for the timeline. I'm not doing the Light of Ruin's job for it." He closed his eyes again.

"B-but why!?"

Fubuki's weapon fell to the ground, followed by him. "It's because of us. Just like Yubel said. We're causing a paradox to occur. Because of that Judai has to... he has to..."

That didn't sound much like Yubel. Yubel knew that the fal'Cie didn't belong so why- He hissed in pain. Thinking after being kicked in the head was a bad idea. "Not...Yubel... Yubel is not here…"

"You mean the city?"

Jim shifted slightly. Judai couldn't bite back the yelp of pain.

"Judai, hold on! Please!"

Judai looked up at Jim's eyes, his future son's eyes. Jim's eyes were so much like Yubel's. If he didn't know that they weren't related by blood he might've thought that Jim was born to Yubel. 

"Jim, I'm not yet the Judai you knew. But thank you for loving me anyways."

He closed his eyes and pulled with whatever strength he had left. He felt an Artifact that they would need to open the gate fly towards them and the gate activate. He had done all he could. The rest was up to them. His body went limp and his world turned black. The rain on his skin felt like tears Yubel couldn't shed for him this time.

* * *

## 200 After the Fall: The Tower of Truth

Judai had asked Yubel to bring him to the tower. Yubel had been understandably reluctant what with it being under the control the control of a rogue AI and a blood thirsty man made fal'Cie that once killed every human in the building when it seized control. But this needed to be done. There was no happy future with that fal'Cie around, not when the Light gave it access to a small pocket dimension that existed outside of time from where it could control anything in its past, present and future to its desire.

His job was to guide people so guide them he would. He asked Yubel to wait in another room then the one with the time gate he was waiting for the time travelers in. He knew that tensions ran too high to have a proper conversation, but the time travelers were the only hope to make sure that the fal'Cie never existed in the first place.

It took awhile for them to make their way to him, but they finally arrived. Judai walked over to them, Artifact floating over his hands.

"Judai, are you on your own?" Jim asked. He was alert, looking around for Yubel to pop up.

Judai nodded. "I brought you this." He pushed the Artifact so it floated into Fubuki's hands.

"Why? What should we do with it?"

"You have to protect the real timeline, the one that the Light did everything to bury. I saw you in Oerba. I trust you." He thought back to the encouraging words Daitokuji told him so long ago. "I believe in you."

"We're in the same time as when we met in Oerba. So you're the same Judai," Fubuki said, stating the obvious once more.

Judai pulled out the red rose that had fallen out of Yubel's hair during a previous fight. Well, it had fallen out of Yubel's hair during fights twice and after that they gave it to Judai instead. "Yes."

"But who are you? Who are the Farseers?"

What? Did no one teach kids anything these days? Judai sighed. "I am the seer of the oldest tribe on Gran Pulse. The name 'Farseers' is misleading as I have been and always will be the only one. My visions of the future have been recorded and stored within the Oracle Drives. But I no longer do that for the most part. There is no need to record the prophecies like that anymore. I have Yubel now." 

"What do you mean?" Fubuki asked, his voice quiet as if he was too afraid to ask.

"Yubel is tasked with protecting me and remembering my visions. My constant companion through life. Now and forever, they will remember the whole timeline. Yubel is beyond time and death."

"What? You mean they can't die? Ever?" Jim asked. 

Judai nodded. "I have the Eyes of Darkness and inside Yubel's chest beats the Heart of Darkness. The Gentle Darkness gifted both of us with the curse of eternity, just that theirs is much permanent then mine. The power to see the future is a terrible weapon. Many in have tried to use me to shape the future to what their greed dictated, but I didn't have to deal with such people since I got Yubel. They'll always keep me safe."

Silence.

"But then...why are you helping us?" Fubuki started carefully. "I mean, you do know that we're trying to change history, right?" He asked slowly, as if talking to a child or someone stupid. Maybe that's how Judai should've told him that he was a seer as well.

"History has already been broken by the Light. The timeline had been twisted long before I met you. The changes lead to a future of death and destruction. If you change the future, you can change the past and correct the timeline. The miracle that saved Cocoon has already been changed by it. Someone who was meant to survive did not come home."

"Someone who was meant to survive? You mean my sister? You do, don't you? You're saying that Asuka shouldn't have disappeared that day!"

"It was because the future was changed. Darkness needed a protector and your sister was the perfect choice. It will set her free if it no longer needs her."

Fubuki looked back at Jim. "So if we keep traveling through the gates and solve all the paradoxes that are appearing…"

"Yeah."

"If you change the future again, the true past will be restored. The one that you still remember, Fubuki. You two are the only ones who can do so."

"Do you hear that, Jim? We've been doing the right thing all along!" Fubuki yelled in joy. It looked as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

Jim smiled at him. "Yes." He turned to Judai. "Can you tell us something else? Someone has been laying traps for us inside this tower. Do you know who's behind it?"

"Your enemy. It is inside this tower. It is something that never should've existed in the first place, yet Light gave it the power it needed. The fal'Cie is alive and it would prefer if the rest of us weren't." 

"The fal'Cie? So the Yubel we met earlier in Academia was..."

"An imitation created by the man made fal'Cie." 

Jim frowned. "And what about the other Yubel? The one we saw in the tower."

Judai blinked away the tears that sprung up. No, he wouldn't get them side tracked, not when he was so close to getting the fal'Cie undone and with it the death he saw his future self experience. He did not wish to die through Cei'th, but that would be humanity's future if he let it continue on this path. "That one is real. They brought me here. And when we are done, they'll take me away."

Fubuki nodded in understanding and turned to Jim. "Let's go."

Jim continued to stare at Judai. His gaze was sad. Perhaps he was starting to recognize the signs of the stain. He opened his mouth, but Judai cut him off. He was weak already, shaking like a leaf whenever a small wind drafted by. Jim had just seen what had turned out to be one of Judai's worst deaths. There was no need to make him watch another one right after. "Go. And please, let me see a new future," he said with a smile.

Jim closed his mouth. His eyes flickered between Judai's. He apparently found what he was searching for as he sighed. "We'll do it," he promised.

"Good."

Fubuki stepped over to the keyboard with the artifact and activated the gate which promptly sucked the two in.

Judai felt Darkness running through him. His head snapped up as a new future unfolded in front of his eyes. A smile appeared on his lips as he reached out as if to physically grab the future.

"Everyone is smiling again. This is the future...I wanted to see."

The rose in his hand fell to the floor, Judai not far behind it, dead once more.

Yubel picked up the rose and placed it in his hair. They picked him up bridal style, taking a few moments to look at his face. His eyes were closed and even death couldn't wipe away his smile. The only thing not fitting in this image of peacefulness were Yubel's tears that landed on his face.

"I'm glad you could finally see a happy future again, I just wish we could live it together."

* * *

## 682 After the Fall: The End Of The World

Yubel was already there when Judai first opened his eyes. They even got to work already, holding back an eager toddler with black, spiked up hair and very familiar eyes.

"It's awake!" Jim screamed, pointing at Judai.

It?

Yubel chuckled. "Looks like he is. Say hello to Judai, Jim."

"Hello Judai!"

Judai waved as best as he could.

"Now come on, didn't you say that the head hunter was going to show you something?"

Jim gasped and ran out the house.

Yubel picked Judai up. They looked so much bigger than usually. Then again, he never met them while he was this young.

They grinned at him, fangs pronounced. "Welcome to your life, love. Don't worry, you'll hate it here. Unless you suddenly like sand, that is."

And boy were they right.

* * *

Of course with Judai being born, people have gained a bit of hope. They decided to use some of the scrap metal they found and build a statue to honor Judai and to have a nice looking place for the Oracle Drive Yubel had kept save.

"What are they doing?" Jim asked. careful to not touch the eye on Yubel's knee as he hung off their leg.

"They're building a statue to honor Judai's position as seer."

"What's a seer?" 

"A seer is a person that has the power to see visions of the past, present and future. In the past many people went after Judai to try and use his gift for their own gain, so I was appointed as his Guardian."

"Wow." Jim look at the ground thoughtfully. "Then...I want to protect Judai too!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah!"

"Then you better become big and strong. Only the best for Judai, right?"

Jim grinned widely.

* * *

## 692 After the Fall

Jim had been gone for an uncomfortably long time. The only thing that held the hunters back from going outside and searching for him was night setting in and Judai's promise that he'll be back safely with a friend.

Some didn't want to put much faith into his word, but he did lead them to prey multiple times when it seemed as if none was around.

Come morning Jim returned a smile on his face and a small, scaled friend on his heels.

"This is Karen," Jim declared pointing proudly down at the crocodile. "And she's not for eating!"

A lot grumbled at that and went back to what they were supposed to be doing.

Judai walked over to Karen, holding out a piece of meat to her. She sniffed at it before carefully taking it from him. She even let him pet her after. "What a god girl."

Jim beamed with pride.

* * *

## 693 After the Fall

Their little village was losing people. Either to sickness, age or some to the stupid decision to try and make it alone. It wasn't like new people were born either. The last one had been Judai and that was already 10 years ago. They had one woman left, but they could hardly put all their hopes for reproduction on her so they didn't even try. This didn't go unnoticed by even the youngest of the group.

"So you had multiple lives, right? You ever had any children?"

"No. For all my lives I've never had a child."

"Why?"

"Well...for one Yubel and I can't have kids. And it just never felt right to adopt one knowing how little time I'd get to spend with them while Yubel has to look after them, always being reminded that I can't be there for all the important moments."

"Then how about you adopt me?"

"What?"

"You know, you wouldn't miss any of the important moments like that and it's not like I have parents anyway. So it's a win-win!"

Judai shook his head, smile on his lips. "And you'd be alright with letting someone who looks like he's younger than you call you son?"

Jim shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Judai laughed. "Okay, but no complaining. You brought this upon yourself, son!"

Jim grinned right back at him.

* * *

Raising a child was hard under normal circumstances, raising one at the end of the world was even harder. But Yubel and Judai did their best. Yubel taught him how to fight and made him weapons that were of higher quality than any other. Judai told him stories of old. Stories that Jim would need on his journey through time, stories of how Cocoon fell its final fall.

Though that one always changed every time Fubuki and Jim changed the past. At first it was a fight between giants, humanity going to war against itself, the crystal pillar melted by a monster, sometimes even a mix of them all. But even with the constant stain of changing history Judai did his best so as little holes as possible would appear in Jim's memories.

It distracted him from the fact that he barely had any visions of a future at all in this life.

* * *

## 700 After the Fall

"Yubel!" Jim called as he ran up to them. He had grown up to be quite tall these days. How he got enough nutritions for that was a mystery to Yubel.

They smiled at his eagerness. "Did you get one?" He had left a few hours earlier to hunt one of the monsters Judai had seen would pass them by.

"Yeah, all by myself," he said, trying not to sound like was out of breath.

"You're getting better. It must've been a hard hunt."

Jim waved them off. "Nah, it was as easy as anything. No problem. Too easy, in fact. I got bored."

Yubel lifted their eye-ridge in amusement. "Oh? Is that so?"

"Yep."

"Then I guess it’s time to prove that you can become the one true Guardian, huh?"

Jim's eyes widened in horror. "Maybe not that that easy."

"That's what I thought."

"I don't get why there has to be one true Guardian either. Can't we just both protect Judai?"

"Normally? No. It's not the way of the Guardian. There can only be one Guardian since the Guardian needs certain powers that are only passed down by killing the previous Guardian. I only became Judai's Guardian by killing my own predecessor so long ago."

Jim shuddered.

"But since you're our son I guess we can make an exception and let you hang around."

"Sometimes I feel really loved in this family."

"You're welcome. Now why don't you show me where you slayed the monster so I can carry it home?"

* * *

Judai was busy cleaning Karen when they returned. Yubel went to butcher the monster as Jim walked over to them.

"Hey! I'm back!" 

Karen let out a rumble. Judai looked up and smiled at him. "How was the hunt?"

"I bagged a huge one! I wanted something special for tonight!"

Judai clasped his hands together and hoped that none of his sadness showed in his eyes. It was his 17th. His time was running out rapidly. "Tonight? You mean my birthday?"

"Of course! Tonight's feast will be the best yet!" He started rubbing the back of his head. "Although I wish we had some more people. 3 might seem a little depressing."

Judai shook his head. "No, it'll be fine as long as you and Yubel come." A growl sounded from around his feet. He knelt down and rubbed Karen's head. "You too Karen."

Jim smiled at the image. He skillfully ignored the sound of something heavy dropping to the floor followed by Yubel's cursing.

* * *

"You know...I miss the smell of grass and the feel of being fully submerged in clean water."

Yubel halted in the middle of brushing Judai's hair with an old, broken comb they found. 

"I know we don't normally travel through the timeline because it can kill you, but...we could make an exception for this time. It's your last life after all. You could see as many plants and swim as much as you want to. We could even go see the crystal pillar again."

Judai had turned around while Yubel was talking. He hung off their every word. "I think those were the sexiest words you ever said to me."

Yubel chuckled. "Good to know that I've been doing it wrong all this time."

"Probably should've told you sooner, huh?"

"You think?"

Judai grinned and kissed Yubel's cheek. "But I'd love to go to the past with you. We only need a time when the chance of running into the versions of us in that time are minimal."

"I know exactly when. I'll take care of everything."

* * *

They stood in front of a time gate. Yubel held an Artifact at the ready and was only waiting for Judai to give the go ahead. He was currently calming himself. He saw the different reactions people had to traveling through the gates, which included everything from joyful laughter to getting sick. Seeing how he didn't travel through them in fear of receiving a killing vision on the other side the latter was much more likely.

"Ready?"

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

They lifted their hand with the Artifact and the gate came to life. It took ahold of them with golden ropes and pulled them inside before Judai could so much as scream.

When the golden light faded he found that they were floating through old mechanical rings that seemed to go on forever. Through the gaps between them he saw a sea of red and orange hued stars.

"So this is the Historia Crux?"

"Yes."

"It looks to be in a bad condition. All of these rings are rusted."

"A by product of the Light poisoning the timeline no doubt." 

Judai hummed and spun through the air. "Is this what it's like to fly? You always make it look so easy."

"Heh, no, flying is much harder then this and don't think I don't know you still sometimes look at my first attempts at flying."

"Guilty as charged. But you'll never catch me!"

"Oh, really? We'll see about that!"

Judai tried to swim faster through the time stream, but Yubel caught him within seconds. 

They arms wrapped around him, holding him close and not letting him go.

He pouted. "That's cheating."

"Says the one using his foresight to send me around in cycles looking for monsters because you think I don't get enough exercise."

"You're a grown dragon. I'm just looking out for you."

"Bullshit."

Judai grinned.

A golden crack formed in their path.

"Looks like we're here," Yubel said.

"Let's go then."

* * *

## 003 After the Fall

The first thing Judai did when they arrived in the past was letting himself fall into the grass and just breathe. 

He had lived so long in times where the Light's interference caused the death of the planet that he had forgotten what it felt like to not breathe in ashes or sand. There were so many different scents he was getting a bit overwhelmed, but the only way he could accurately describe it was that it smelled like life, like hope. He patted the grass next to him and he heard Yubel settling down as graceful as they could. He grinned when they cursed at their heel getting stuck in the soft earth.

He felt Yubel's eyes on him so he turned to to his side to stare back at them. They looked much less threatening when not surrounded by a dead world, their dark form melting with their surroundings. Nor did they stand out much like against the grey sand when the sun managed to pierce the ash filled clouds. 

He missed the way the sun played off Yubel's scales. How relaxed Yubel was when surrounded by nature like this. 

Yubel reached up, over his head. The movements of their arm clearly gave away that they cut something off. The hand wandered to his hair and placed whatever flower Yubel found in it. 

He kissed first their left then their right eyelid. He patiently waited for them to close their third eye, before placing two kisses on that eyelid. All three eyes stayed closed as he peppered kisses all over their face. They only opened them when he playfully bit their bottom lip. They grinned at him fangs flashing as they moved to his neck.

They were ripped out of it when they heard screaming from below the cliff they were on. They got up just enough to peak over the edge. There standing in a crater in front of a time gate were Fubuki and Jim surrounded by a group of four people. It seemed like they were just beginning their journey. Good, hopefully they'd be able to unearth the true timeline. One where everyone could breathe in without coating their lungs with the ashes of humanity.

Jim took Fubuki's hand and held up an Artifact to activate it. The gate started spinning faster and coated both travelers in a golden glow. It picked them up. Both travelers gasped as they floated above their friends.

"I'll be back!" Fubuki happily proclaimed with a wave to them, before both of them got sucked into the gate with a yelp.

The golden glow shot skyward, disappearing as quickly as it appeared. A small explosion marked the opening and closing of the Historia Crux. The gate stopped spinning as rapidly, inactive once more.

"So they started. That's good."

Yubel narrowed their eyes. "But once they change thing too much..."

"We'll stop existing as we are, but...I really rather exist in a world where I never had to give up being like this with you."

"Idiot."

"I'd tell you to look into the mirror, but I really want to remember what it feels like being submerged in water again. So be a good dragon and fly us to a nice beach." 

Yubel rolled their eyes, but went with it without comment. 

"Ah, but I don't have anything to change into. Guess I'll have to wear nothing."

Yubel didn't answer, but the way they picked up speed told him enough.

* * *

## 700 After the Fall

Judai reached for the Oracle Drive. This was not a vision he could whisper into Yubel's ear. Nor was it one Jim should see. Not yet anyway. He didn't understand how he was able to see it, a vision from a point when no time exists (or maybe when it only starts to form anew?). But it was a precious vision, one that needed to be recorded, yet locked away from prying eyes and minds.

He felt Jim next to him. This wasn't how he wished for Jim to see him die, but it was a much gentler death than the one Jim would be forced to watch in the past/future.

"Hey, Judai! Are you okay?" Jim started shaking him.

Judai let himself fall back into his arms. "Jim? It's strange. I knew that my final day was getting closer, but even so I wish it had lasted a bit longer. But I'm glad I finally got to meet you. I waited so many years for that to happen."

"No...no, not now."

"Jim...son… you've grown up to be a strong man. Thank you for allowing me to see you grow in person. I'll miss you."

Tear drops landed on his face. Yubel and Jim were really more alike than they wanted to admit. A smile graced his lips. "It's okay to cry, but don't despair. We'll meet again some day."

"How can you say that?"

"Did you forget? I can see everything," he said, before death took him one last time.

* * *

It took hours before Yubel arrived back at their little camp. They found Jim crying over Judai's body. Pain pulled at their heart at the sight, but they had felt Judai fade long before and cried their tears then.

Jim looked up when he heard the sound of their feet.

"Yubel...Judai's...he...it just happened. One moment he was alright and the next, he just fell over. I couldn't do anything."

"The one thing a Guardian can't protect Judai from is the drawback of his own powers. I'm surprised he didn't die sooner with how much he had been using them to make sure we even got to eat."

Jim frowned. "How can you act like this when Judai...he's…"

"Judai's bodies never life to turn 18. It has always been this way and it held true to the end."

"So he..."

Yubel knelt down and lifted Judai from Jim's arms. They did their best to ignore the way his skin felt cold against their scales. They turned away from Jim and started walking away.

"Where are you taking him?" Jim screamed after them causing them to pause, but not turn around.

"I'll give him back to Darkness, just like I did with all his previous bodies. And then I'll find a way to return to it myself."

"And what about me?"

Yubel was silent. They wished that they could take Jim to a place he could be happy. But he would be chosen by Darkness to travel through time and that was something they couldn't interfere with. "I'm sorry, son."

Yubel walked away, ignoring Jim's screams even as they tore their heart apart.

* * *

## ??? The Void Beyond

Judai hated being in the Void Beyond. It was a shadow of Valhalla, empty of all its life, of all its magic. Only Light lived here. It was so easy to prey on any travelers caught in it. But that was why he was here. The time travelers needed guidance through it and Judai was the only one who could now that he was no longer bound by a physical form. Though he made an effort to appear as such for Fubuki's comfort. But he couldn't stop his legs from turning into shadows.

Judai stared up at the shadow of Darkness' crystal throne. It was as beautiful as the real one, but it lacked the aura of love Darkness held when sat upon it. Thankfully it didn't take Fubuki long to reach him. He couldn't wait to return to Valhalla.

"From which time are you?"

"I'm the one that lives and dies in every timeline. The one that is remembered, the one that is forgotten. The one restoring the timeline and the one destroying it. I live in every timeline, in every paradox, in every future that is undone either by the hands of others or my own. I am the collective of all memories. I am Judai."

Shadows rose around Judai's form. Damn he had less time than he thought. His annoyance must've shown on his face as Fubuki pulled slightly into himself. "Have...you come to tell me something?"

Judai slowly turned to look him in the eyes instead of at the throne. "Your singing is annoying." Not what he meant to say but true nonetheless.

"...what?"

"I've lost countless of nights I could've spend sleeping in Yubel's arms to it. I'm sure by now I have several lifetimes worth of sleep that I lost."

"Hey, now wait just a minute!"

"Also, do not trust your eyes. You might see, but the Light can easily blind you. The Light loves to twist your own desires until they align with its own. For some it's a slow going process, one they don't even notice. For others it takes but a few minutes. No one is safe from it. It even poisoned the Gentle Darkness when it awoke you from your crystal sleep."

"So all of this is because of us?"

"Yeah, but I played my part in it as well. I helped raise Cocoon and I helped making it fall. I always chose what was best for as many people as possible. All I wanted to see was a future where everyone is smiling. And I did, for several blissful seconds. But now I can no longer see a future. I can only see the past. Please be careful when you continue on your way. And..."

"Yes?"

"Please bring Yubel back to me. It seems like I already lost them to the Light."

* * *

## ??? After the Fall: Valhalla

Valhalla was as beautiful and eternal as it always was. The empty city home to monsters, lost souls and chaos. The sky stuck between day and night, bathing everything in a warm glow. 

The black sand barely gave way beneath Yubel's feet. Just like it didn't any of the past times they came here to lay Judai to rest. They waded out into the sea. The glowing blue water touched their scales and Judai's clothes, yet didn't make them wet. 

Yubel's eyes lingered on Judai's face, committing it to memory as if they hadn't done so millions of times. His long lashes. His cute little nose. His soft lips. All without a trace of the life that made Yubel love them so.

Slowly, they let him down into the water. They took care to keep him only half submerged. They watched as his body and the water reacted to each other. His body glowed blue before dissolving into smoke. The last bits clinging onto Yubel's claws. Even now he did not want to let go.

"This eternity, you finally left it behind. You're free now, right Judai?" Yubel asked. They closed their fist. Trying to keep the last piece of Judai with them. Visions of Cocoon's crystal pillar falling apart assaulted their mind ending with a vision of Darkness' temple in the world of the living.

This was it. There was no Judai left to protect. To love. To hold. There never would be again. And yet, they still existed. What was the point to being alive, to being a Guardian, if there was no one to guard?

They shivered as they felt the Light brush against their scales. They had fought it off so many times for so long. The Light was the enemy, the one at fault for the Gentle Darkness having to take one of the six as a champion to defend itself. The reason why the real timeline got buried and Judai died not being able to see a future anymore.

And yet…

Its whispers were tempting. 

If Darkness died then time would stop existing and Judai would be truly free. No more lives, no more deaths. And that was what it was like now anyways. They had nothing to loose and everything to gain.

They gave in.

Yubel choked as the Light burned through their veins. Every cell in their body was crying out against it, but it was quick to silence those cries. Light was the way, the only way.

Yes, Darkness needed to die and there was one person perfect for this job.

They turned around to face the city. There in the city center, in the highest tower surrounded by green glass clocks rested the Gentle Darkness. A speck of silver armor glittered in the distance. 

"Warrior Goddess," Yubel roared. Hundreds of monsters rose from the sea around them as hundreds rose to meet them from the debts of the city.

The two armies clashed. 

Yubel cut down a wave of monsters. Their bodies dissolved into the chaos that birthed them. By now Yubel could clearly see Asuka close the distance between them, making good time atop of a centaur. Knight in shining armor much?

Yubel lifted their right arm and called upon the Light. It was all too happy to oblige, calling down a meteorite and splitting the ground they stood on apart. 

They watched at Asuka skillfully jumped from one rock to the next. She let out a war cry as she descended on them. They send a shockwave her way. She caught it with her sword and threw it up into the meteorite, destroying it.

Yubel grinned as they heard Asuka land behind them. "Impressive."

"Shut it," she spat.

Both turned around and clashed. Blade on claws. They danced around each other, dodging both swipes from the other and falling debris. Asuka ducked beneath a swipe of Yubel's claws while Yubel jumped over Asuka trying to cut off their legs.

Yubel caught the blade when it went for their neck. 

Asuka gritted her teeth. "Damn you."

Yubel tilted their head and grinned. "Enough," they said. They slowly moved the blade so it directly pointed at the glow of their heart. "Let's end this."

They made to pull on the blade, have Asuka pierce their heart and kill the one she swore to protect, but Asuka pulled her blade away. 

"That glow…"

Yubel growled over being denied. All three of their eyes glowed gold and they were enveloped in dark shadows. It had been a while since they used anything but their first form, but if they wanted to kill Asuka or get killed by her they needed to step up their game. 

Asuka was pushed away by the shadows. She gasped in horror at the huge monster. With it's two dragon heads and gigantic watchful eye it was quite the change from the fal'Cie she fought before. They were all elegant lines and beautiful colours while Yubel looked like something that crawled straight out of the underworld. And in a sense, they did.

They swiped at her with one hand, each claw twice her size. She managed to block it. Her shield glowed and send sparks into the air around her. But it left her wide open for an attack of Yubel's second hand. The air got knocked out of her as she was thrown across the beach. She used the length of the fall to heal herself as best as she could. Her centaur friend caught her and rode her into the debts of the city, Yubel hot on their heels.

* * *

Yubel shook their head and patted down their scales, back in their first form. They hadn't expected for Asuka to be willing to destroy so much of the temple just to bury them beneath it. Green glass shards lay scattered around them. The great clocks were destroyed and the gigantic stone arch that wound around them was in pieces. Most of them had landed on Yubel. 

Yet they weren't dead. Something else had caught Asuka's attention. The gate had opened. Who could possibly come here at a time like this? They kept to the shadows as Asuka and the newcomer flew towards the upper levels on a white dragon.

* * *

They should've known it was Jim who had come through. Judai had seen them talk.

"Bring my brother to me, his name is Fubuki."

"O..kay."

Asuka turned around, gesturing Jim to stand next to her. Far below the balcony a golden time gate appeared.

"You need to use the gate. Judai should have told you how it works."

"That's a gate…? But why me?"

"Because you're the only one who can. You crossed the Void and made it to Valhalla. You can find Fubuki and together you can change the future."

"Wait...I can change the future?" Jim whispered in wonder. Possibilities already flew through his head.

"Yes." 

A light appeared in Asuka's hand. She lazily threw it in the air where it transformed into a small round creature. It had big, green eyes. Its body was dark blue. The side where its face was had a lighter blue colouring ringed with purple. On its forehead was a rainbow coloured route. It flew close to Jim's face before transforming into a bow with the same colour schema. 

"A good luck charm. Give him to Fubuki."

"You got it. I'll track him down."

That was enough. The sky darkened as Yubel exited the shadows on a balcony above them. "Enjoying your little chat?"

"What? Yubel?" Jim asked. His eyes were wide in innocent surprise. 

This boy as he was now would never be able to kill them. He was useless to them. They frowned. What a waste of time and energy. They called upon the Light once more and again it was eager to please. The meteorite came crashing down on them once more.

Asuka wasted no time before jumping into action. She stepped in front of Jim and pushed him back. "Get to the gate! I'm counting on you!"

"Okay!"

Yubel took a step forward, right off the edge. They took a dive and swiped at the two with their claws.

"Go!" Asuka screamed as she ducked.

Jim jumped off the balcony. Asuka summoned forth another warrior monster. Her armor shone as brightly as Asuka's one. 

Asuka grabbed her hand. "Do it!" 

She swirled Asuka around once, building up momentum. And then she launched Asuka straight up. Asuka let out a war cry. She raised her shield unafraid of the impact with the meteorite. Her only concern was to keep the temple safe, to keep Darkness' throne safe.

Jim ran as fast as he could towards the gate, dodging falling debris. He jumped off of one of the balconies positioned over the gate. He reached out with his free hand towards the gate, hoping that he would reach it before the meteorite caught up with him.

The gate exploded in a golden glow. 

For a moment nothing moved. Everything stood still as if too afraid to move. And then Jim, the gate and the meteorite were gone. The clocks and their stone arch had been repaired as if nothing ever happened. The temple was still in ruins though. Yubel flew back as Asuka used her momentum to try and cut them in half.

They found themselves in a little courtyard at the bottom of the temple. Asuka always right on their heels. Claws and sword continued to crash in a seemingly endless battle.

"It's pointless, you know? Time will cease to exist. Everything will fade and then we'll all finally be free."

"You'll have to kill me first!"

"That can be arranged," they said, putting their weight into their claws in a slash that had Asuka gritting her teeth as she parried it. Yubel grinned. They pulled back for another sweep of their claws.

Seeing a weak spot, Asuka thrusted her sword forward. Yet Yubel's form dissolved into smoke.

"What the…" Asuka's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the person that stood in front of the tip of her sword. Golden eyes skyward. "Fubuki!"

Asuka closed her eyes, shaking her head. She looked at the transparent Fubuki who had now sunken to the floor, his bangs hiding his face. "It can't be…Fubuki..." She slowly stumbled over to him. Eyes not looking away for a single second.

Yubel took the chance to appear behind her. Asuka turned around in the last second, but was too late to dodge Yubel's claws. She flew over Fubuki and came to a rolling stop a few meters away. She weakly pushed herself up with her arms. Her gaze was still fixed on Fubuki. Asuka reached out towards him. But it was not meant to be. Her strength left her and she fell to the ground, unconscious. 

Yubel stepped through Fubuki's phantom. They looked down at Asuka laying at their feet. "Too easy." They lifted their claws to deliver the finishing blow, but halted as wisps of darkness coiled around Asuka. 

They smiled down at her as she got swallowed by Darkness and Chaos.

Only once Asuka was completely gone and no more Darkness was in sight did they turn away. They had to find another opponent. One strong enough to kill Darkness and put an end to time.

* * *

Judai watched as Asuka woke up. He hadn't planned to interfere in things so drastically and so directly. Not after what had happened with Cocoon, losing those fal'Cie to their own desire to meet their maker and their willingness to take humanity down with them...it hurt to think about. But he knew that he couldn't let Yubel kill Asuka. No, she was the only hope there was. The one that would bring a new future where before one didn't exist.

So here he was, personally interfering with events again. While he didn't like what he was about to do, they were on a tight schedule and it needed to be done.

Asuka's eyes widened in horror. Fubuki floated in front of Darkness' throne, only supported by Judai's shadows. She used her sword as a crutch to stand up. Asuka limped over to him, hissing in pain with every step. 

Judai decided that that was close enough. His shadows twirled to life in front of her.

"Your brother, he's the same as me," he said, his voice echoing.

Asuka frowned and looked for a way past him, but he cut her off.

"And so he's with me. Always with me. Until time is destroyed, his soul will sleep with me." 

Slowly, he raised Fubuki's arms. Hanging him up as if by chains.

"When the world ends, he'll end with me."

Asuka pointed her sword at him. "Let him go!"

Black tears escaped Fubuki's eyes. They painted his cheeks and his throat black as he tilted his head back.

Asuka stared at him in horror. She knew what it meant. Death through a vision. Only her military training stopped her from dropping her sword. Instead, she gritted her teeth and pointed it at him again.

"He will melt into Light just like the rest of us will in due time. We will all share his fate."

The ground began to shake. It was almost time.

"Fubuki!"

Judai allowed Asuka to step closer and returned his hold on Fubuki to what it was before.

"But...while you can't save him, you can save what he fought for. What he died for."

"What…"

"Time will come to an end, whenever you're the one dealing the finishing blow or not. But not all hope is lost yet. There is still you."

"What do you mean?"

"Become the pillar of hope. The one holding the future. Pull what's left of the Gentle Darkness to you so it may live on even when the Light will take its turn to rule."

"Why me?"

"Because you're the only one that can. You're the one who is the closest to Darkness right now. Yubel has been taken over by the Light and I'm...well...this. But you're solid and free of the influence of the Light."

"And you'd think I'd do what you say after what you did?"

"I didn't do this to Fubuki. The Light did. Just as it took my body and countless lifetimes from me. Just as it drove Yubel to war against the one who had created and sheltered us. Just as it drove the Gentle Darkness to need you to protect it and thus wrote you out of history. How it took the future of everyone smiling I spend so many lifetimes creating from everyone. I'm the one keeping Fubuki out of its reach and I will continue to do so for as long as I can."

"Do you promise?"

"I do."

Asuka looked at Fubuki, still floating like a grotesque sign of what was to come. Finally she nodded. "Alright."

Judai collected Fubuki's body and materialized the crystal steps leading up to Darkness' throne.

"While you turn to crystal, you might be able to talk to Fubuki. I'll try to give you as much time as you need, but it will only last a moment."

"Thank you."

Judai didn't say anything in return as he let his shadows vanish. He watched as she took a deep breath before taking the first step. And then the second and then the third. She climbed the crystal steps so very slowly. Every step felt as if she was shouldering more of the world. In a way she was.

She took her time getting comfortable on the throne she had spend so many times kneeling in front of. She gripped her sword with both hands, afraid to let go of it even now. Asuka took one last breath as her skin began to glow brightly.

Judai pushed Fubuki inside Asuka's mind. He let them talk as he readied a seal deep inside Asuka's heart. It was the one place where he would be save from the Light trying to use him against Asuka. Asuka was the only hope for there being a future and he will not have that hope lost through something so preventable. Once the seal was prepared he took Fubuki and locked him up to the best of his abilities. 

He returned to watching from the outside as Asuka turned to crystal. Hers was as golden as the threats of time that she held onto. As golden as the powers of the Gentle Darkness she kept save within her.

He sighed. It had been far too long since he did this. Now all that was left to do was hoping that Jim and Fubuki would be able to return Yubel to him. It was cold here and he longed to cuddle against them as their wings wrapped around him, sheltering him from the outside.

* * *

The two time travelers landed on the beach in front of Yubel. Good, so they managed to kill whatever the Light did to them as it opened a rift from 500 AF to Valhalla. It had warned them of their coming. They had shrugged it off then, but now, looking at how different they hold each other, sliding into fighting positions so easily? Oh, they were looking forward to this.

"We won't let you do this, Yubel."

"We'll get you back from the Light. Just as Judai asked us to."

"Judai did no such thing."

"Yes, he did."

"No, he didn't."

"So what you think he would've wanted for you to destroy everything he worked so hard on?"

"Everything is destroyed either way. I'm only setting him free so he can do what he's always wanted: age."

"What?"

"All Judai ever wanted was to grow old. To see wrinkles appear on his face and his hair starting to grey. But no, he didn't get that. He didn't even get the happy future he was promised he could create! No, that one was taken away by you!" Yubel roared at Fubuki who took a step back.

"What do you mean?"

"The damning moment when the Gentle Darkness rescued you and your friends from your crystal sleep. For you, it was a miracle. For Judai, a death sentence. In that moment the Light poisoned Darkness and Judai and the timeline with it. Every distortion, every twist of time meant Judai's death. I watched him die so many times and for what? For a future still in chaos, filled with nothing but death. So I say fuck history. I will tear down time itself if it means that Judai will be freed from this eternal damnation."

"So you decided to side with the very thing that caused all this?"

Their heart clenched painfully. "We have a common goal now. A goal you're in the way of."

Yubel transformed into their final form. Nothing less would be fitting for this final confrontation. But something was...off. They screamed as their vision turned white instead of gaining multiple fields of vision like usual. They growled and tried to regain control, but the burn of the light only turned harsher. The pain made them blackout.

They only gained consciousness back after what felt like years. Crouched over back on the beach. The Light continued to burn them, but now it focused on their heart. Yubel looked up when a sword entered their field of vision. Jim stood before him.

The Heart of Darkness and Light were trying to eat one another inside their body. No matter what happened now, they wouldn't last long. 

"I have to die. I must free Judai. Kill me! You're the only one who can end our eternal torment."

Jim lowered his sword arm. "Even if it were for Judai's sake, I wouldn't want to kill you."

"Asuka is dead. I killed her with my own hands," Yubel said. Their eyes slid over to Fubuki, challenging him.

"What…?"

"Will you allow me to go unpunished?"

Jim held Fubuki back. "You're lying."

"In Valhalla, time doesn't flow as it should. Long before we started to fight, I already faced her. Now she sleeps, never to wake. Things that will happen in your future have already been decided in my own past. I know how it begins and how it ends."

"Then you should know that you can't provoke me. No matter what you say or do, I will not kill you."

Yubel huffed a laugh. "That's right. You hate killing anyone. Jim, the boy born at the end of days. You truly know the value of life." Yubel slowly stood up. They ignored the pain building in their chest as much as their could. Their eyes slid over to Fubuki briefly before landing on Jim's again.

"But I know this: You will kill me," Yubel declared.

Jim figured out what they planned to do as soon as they finished speaking. They batted their wings clouding the 3 of them in black sand. They moved towards Fubuki claws raised, but Jim cut them off. Claws clanged against the metal of his blade. 

"Yubel, no!"

He raised his sword abruptly, making Yubel lose their balance. He swiftly moved in with his second, smaller blade. The finishing blow. Yubel positioned themselves directly in front of it. 

This was it the release of death would finally come and with it the chance to have Judai back in their arms. Their lips curled into a smile.

Only death didn't come.

Jim managed to break his momentum with his foot, his blade just shy of piercing Yubel's chest. "Give it up. I won't do it."

Yubel let out a chuckle. "Impressive." And it was. They could still remember his first attempts at swinging a sword. One out of scrap metal since wood was scarce. How he proclaimed that he would protect Judai against all evil. He had gotten good, but...

They grabbed the blade with both hands. 

Jim's expression turned to surprised then horrified realization. "No!" Jim stemmed his arms, trying to pull his blade free, but Yubel wasn't giving him a single centimeter. They wouldn't be robbed of this again.

Yubel smiled. Truly, he was the only one strong enough to be able to survive what they would force him to do. 'Are you seeing him Judai? Do you see how much our boy has grown?' They plunged the sword deep into their chest.

Jim pulled away as quickly as he could but it was too late. "Yubel!"

The powers within their body were ripping them apart. They couldn't so much as let out a scream of pain as both Light and Darkness left their body and escaped towards the sky were they tore one another apart. Without them, Yubel had nothing. Nothing to fight with, nothing to heal with, nothing to live with. 

Death came for them before they hit the ground.

* * *

When Yubel blinked their eyes open, they found only Darkness. It was moving alive. Strange, they thought it would be dead by now.

"Silly dragon."

Yubel whirled around. Those words had echoed from all around them, said in a painfully familiar voice. "Judai?"

The darkness shifted, it build what appeared to be a human body. They narrowed their eyes, but they couldn't make out who it was supposed to be. That is until they held an armful of smiling Judai.

"Yubel!"

"Judai!"

Judai buried his face into Yubel's shoulder and breathed them in. "I missed you," he mumbled into their scales. 

Yubel tightened the embrace. "I missed you too."

"We can be together now."

"Yes."

"Though we'll talk later about you wandering over to the Light."

"I'm sorry. Will it involve mirrors?"

"All of the mirrors."

"Looking forward to it then."

"Me too, but for now…" Judai's eyes shone golden. "Time has ended. But the end isn't near yet. In the end of days the savior will appear and guide our souls to the new world. To be reborn free of chaos."

"Wha- Judai!"

Wherever they were got shaken up. The Darkness started moving around them frantically, trying to pull them away from the Light that had breached the place. At some point Yubel must've been knocked out. Because when they came to they sat on Darkness' throne. The throne room was empty and bleak. The glow of the sun was nowhere to be found and neither was Judai. 

They looked around. "Judai? Judai, where are you?"

Judai shushed them. "I'm here," he whispered into their ear. His voice had an echoing quality to it. 

They turned around only to be met with Judai's half formed body. 

He smiled at them as shadows rose all around them. "I will always be here."

* * *

Days passed. Weeks passed. Moths passed. Years passed.

It was hard to tell for Yubel. The sky around the temple was always dark and they couldn't leave this place. All but chained to the throne where the last whispers of the Gentle Darkness resided. Judai could move around more freely. His shadowy form filled the temple, turning some rooms into black voids. But even he couldn't leave the temple.

The only indication that live went on outside these walls were Judai's updates. He could still see though nothing of what he saw happened in the future. Only the present or the past. In those moments he would take on a solid form, one that came close to his human one, yet the black smoke never vanished.

He told them of humanity's inability to age. Everyone effectively being sterile since no time could pass to let a child grow. All the backlash of Darkness dying.

"It seems like I cursed everyone to become like us."

"It's fine. It won't last forever."

"How can you be so sure? Because Asuka will come to free our souls?"

Judai hummed and cuddled closer into Yubel's side. 

"Can we even be saved? Are we even able to be reborn without powers?"

"I don't know, but I won't mind being with you forever. Even if forever is in here."

Yubel couldn't say anything against that. Not when they felt the same. Though there was one thing... "A bit more space to stretch my wings would be nice though."

Judai laughed. "We can see if we come up with something. Maybe we can even invest in some mirrors." 

Yubel opened their mouth to protest, they didn't want any mirrors for Judai to point to whenever he thought they did or said something idiotic, but the only thing that left it was a moan. Judai had started kissing along Yubel's jawline successfully putting an end to any further conversation for the time being.

* * *

The last days of the Old World came and with them Asuka.

Yubel knew that she was making her way through the temple, Judai was telling them as much. But that didn't prepare them for the way her power felt. It felt so very much like the Gentle Darkness that if they weren't apart of it as well, they might've thought at it took her form.

"Here to take my soul then, savoir?"

"Both yours and Judai's."

Yubel hummed. "That might be a bit outside of your reach, little goddess."

"How so?"

"To collect one’s soul you need for the person to be at peace, right? To be able to let go even if only for a moment?"

Asuka narrowed her eyes. "Yes."

"Neither Judai nor I will ever fit into that description, but even if we did there is one thing that will always keep us out of your reach."

Yubel closed their eyes and forced all of their peaceful memories to the front of their mind. They opened their eyes to see that Asuka watched them in horror as their form flickered out of existence before Judai's shadows forced it to return.

"You see, Asuka, while Judai wants for me to move on, he also can't let me go. Neither of us can be saved by you and neither of us will move onto the new world with you. I've killed Darkness to end this curse on both of us, yet the only thing I did was pull down everyone down with us."

"Didn't think I'd ever hear you regret anything."

"I only regret that it didn't set Judai free. He isn't stuck in an endless loop of death anymore, but now he's neither alive or dead and you can't save him. No one can."

Asuka clenched her fists. "I-"

"You should go. Leave this place before the Light swallows you as well." Yubel leaned their head back as a shadowy hand ran through their hair. "You already wasted enough time here and time is running out. Or so I've heard."

Asuka looked at them a bit longer. They sat on the same throne she had climbed and turned to crystal on in hopes of being able to hold time together just a bit longer. 

"I won't give up on you two," Asuka promised. She didn't wait for an answer that she wouldn't receive, just turned around and left.

Yubel hummed as Judai's shadows closed in on them again.

* * *

The last day of the Old World had arrived. Everything was in pure chaos as the Light swallowed up the last pieces of their world. The savior fought against it, fought against the pure powerful form it gave itself when it had named itself God so long ago. 

Judai kept as much of an eye on the situation as he could. Even when they got pulled into Light as it tried to use what was left of Darkness against the woman it had planned to use as the new goddess of time and death in its new world. But even that couldn't save it. Asuka did it. Light was dead. 

And now she was about to do what she was meant to: guide everyone's souls into the New World to be reborn. But, Yubel and Judai's souls were still pretty much anchored to the Light's body that was slowly self destructing. 

Yubel's eyes flickered between Judai and the group of Asuka and the people closest to her that had dealt the finishing blow. They used the last bits of their powers to cut Judai free. They just didn't expect him to hold onto their arm.

"What are you doing? Let go and go with them!"

Judai shook his head. Tightening his grip on their arm even as the pull on his soul became stronger. "Not without you!"

"You're an idiot!"

"Look in the mirror!"

"I don't have any!"

"Then we'll buy some! Along with a nice house with a garden for you to plant in all the roses you want."

Tears swell in Yubel's eyes. "You're impossible!"

"I know! It's why you love me!"

Then suddenly Jim was there next to Judai, trying to help pull them out. 

"Not you too…"

"You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"I wouldn't call what I did to you "easily", son."

Asuka flew up to them blue glowing blade ready and cut Yubel free. Yubel held both of their boys close as they got pulled away. Asuka closed the rift to the old world behind them, killing whatever was still alive in it. She opened up a new rift one that shone a calming blue. She held her hand out to Fubuki who took it without hesitation. Looking around the assembled group brought a smile to her lips. 

"Shall we?"

* * *

Meeting Judai again in the New World felt surreal. 

They had their human body back and they found that missed their scales very much. Nothing had quite the effect as a humanoid dragon glaring at someone. Not to mention that they had parents that they should listen to. They tried to act normally, but they mostly failed. It just felt wrong to have parents at their age. Yet it was thanks to their parents that Yubel met Judai again.

Yubel's parents were into Alchemy for some reason that Yubel didn't care about. They ended up going to dinner at one of their alchemist friends who turned out to be Daitokuji of all people. He send them a knowing smile and told them that his son was playing in the garden out back. Yubel wasted no time to run outside.

There lazing on the grass with Pharaoh on his chest was Judai. He lazily opened one eye when Yubel closed the door to the garden with more force than necessary. He jumped when he saw Yubel staring at him. Not paying any attention to Pharaoh's grumbles he ran and threw himself into Yubel's arms.

Since they lacked any strength of their previous life, it landed them both on the floor. Judai had a smile so wide it hurt Yubel' cheeks just- no wait, that was their own smile.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Judai had a cute little flush on his cheeks and Yubel imagined their face looked the same.

"Before I forget. I got something for you," Judai said. He started rummaging in one of his side pockets (and why was he wearing pants made out of pockets now anyway?). He held a small flat boy out to them.

"Oh?" Yubel opened the little box. Inside was a small mirror. Roses lined it and at the bottom were two simple words in elegant cursive lettering. "'You Idiot'? Really?"

"I did say that I would."

"Well, I guess I finally looked in the mirror."

"And?"

"And it seems like I'm an idiot. Will you allow me to be your idiot?"

"You're even more of an idiot to think that I would let you go now that we finally both got what we wanted."

"Oh?"

"I can't wait to see what wrinkles will do to your face."

"Hey, I just got this one! At least give me a few years to look good."

"You always look good to me."

"Even while dying?"

"You looked very hot while dying. I just always look sad."

"That's because all of your deaths were sad."

"But no more deaths."

"Yeah, you better not leave me before I can laugh at your wrinkles."

Judai smiled. Yubel returned it easily.

* * *

Years later, they found themselves invited to a wedding between Fubuki and Jun. Jun's entourage was making a big deal out of everything while Fubuki soaked it up and joined in. Asuka just shook her head. She looked like she'd rather be facing the Light again. Sho handed her a glass of water with an Aspirin inside that she gladly took. Mr. O'Brien and his son Austin, who had grown older than a small child that could sit on his father’s shoulders, were off to the side talking with Junko and Momoe who flew in from Australia. 

Yubel look over to Judai, when they felt his grip on their hand tighten. They raised a brow at him questioningly. He only smiled and brushed a strand of hair out of their face, the gold band on his finger glinted in the light. They both ignored Jim having to fight on Karen's behalf for the 20th time that day.

Yes, life was good. Even if it now involved a lot more people and a lot less fighting then back when they dreamed of being free of eternity.


End file.
